Prairie Saoke 



AELVIN RANDOLPH GILAORE 
BIS/^ARCK. NORTH DAKOTA 
1921 



A COLLECTION of LORE of the PRAIRIES 



COPYRIGHT 1921 
By MELV1N RANDOLPH GILMORE 




MAP TO SHOW THE DISTRIBUTION OF THE NATIVE 
TRIBES IN WHAT IS NOW THE STATE OF NORTH DA- 
KOTA AND ADJACENT STATES. 

The native tribes of North Dakota are of three different linguistic 
stocks or races. These are the Algonkian, Siouan and Caddoan. The Al- 
gonkian race is represented in North Dakota by one nation, the Chippewa 
or Ojibwa. The Siouan race is represented within our state boundaries 
by three nations, the Dakota (sometimes called Sioux), the Mandan, and 
the Hidatsa (who are also called Gros Ventre and Minnetari). The Cad- 
doan race is represented by one nation, the Arikara. Other nations of the 
Caddoan race are the Pawnees, the Wichita and the Waco farther south. 

The domain of the Dakota nation comprised southern Minnesota, 
northwest Iowa, almost all of South Dakota, part of northwest Nebraska, 
eastern Wyoming, and the southern part of North Dakota. . 

The Chippewa domain was around the west end of Lake Superior in 
northern Wisconsin, northern Minnesota, and part of northeastern North 
Dakota. 

The Mandans, Hidatsas and Arikaras were three nations allied to- 
gether for mutual protection against the encroachments of their common 
enemies who pressed upon them from all sides. The Mandan as an in- 
dependent nation held domain along both sides of the Missouri River in 
what is now the central part of North Dakota. The Hidatsa were to the 
east of the Mandan. The Arikara were, some centuries ago, in northern 
Nebraska, but migrated gradually up the river. Finally they were so 
pressed by the incursion of the Dakotas from the east that they joined 
forces with the Mandans, who allowed them place in their country in 
exchange for the added strength which their numbers gave against the 
common enemy. The Hidatsas and the Mandans had already, before this, 
made alliance, so now the three nations were allied in the region of 
the upper Missouri River within what is now North Dakota, extending 
westward a little into what is now Montana. 

The several domains of the various native tribes or nations within 
North Dakota and adjacent states are represented on this map as, follows: 



Dakota by horizontal lines, 



Chippewa by vertical lines 



Mandan-Hidatsa-Arikara alliance 
by oblique cross hatching. 



Ponka by oblique lines slanting to 
the left, 



Omaha by oblique lines slanting to 
the right, 

Pawnee by horizontal and vertical 
cross-hatching. 



Oto by cross-hatching of lines hor- 
izontal, oblique left and right. 




[3] 



PREFACE 

Many persons are ever seeking outside of themselves and in some 
distant place or time for interest and cheer.. They are always dis- 
contented and complaining. They fancy if they were but in some other 
place or other circumstances they would be happy. But this is a vain fancy. 
Each of us carries with him the germs of happiness or of unhappiness. 
Those of unhappy disposition will be unhappy wherever they may be. 
Cheer is not in environment, but in the individual. One who is of a 
cheerful, understanding disposition will find interest and cheer wherever 
he may be. 

Robert Louis Stevenson well said "The world is so full of a 
number of things I think we should all be as happy as kings." When 
there are so many interesting things in the world, so many in any given 
place, so many more than one can ever fully know or enjoy in the short 
span of human lifetime, how can one ever be overtaken by dullness ? If 
dullness seem to enfold us, be sure it is we that are dull; it is because our 
minds are lazy and our eyes unseeing. There is enough of interest 
about us wherever we may be to engage our attention if we open our eyes 
to it. If we have initiative and independence of mind we shall find inter- 
est everywhere; but if we depend upon others or neglect what is about us 
in desire for what is distant we shall never be content. One greater than 
Robert Louis Stevenson said "The Kingdom of Heaven is within you." 

It is with the purpose of calling attention to some of the many 
fascinatingly interesting things which we have all about us on the 
prairie plains and in the hills and valleys of our own state, and perhaps 
in our own neighborhood, that this volume is produced. The myths 
which pertain to the hills, valleys, springs and streams in our own state 
and in our own neighborhood must be of interest to us when we look with 
our own eyes upon the actual places to which these myths pertain. And 
these myths of the country in which we live are at least equal in beauty 
and interest to the myths of the Greeks, and to the old Teutonic myths of 
Thor, Odin, and Freya; or even to our own old British myths which we 
have from our Druidic ancestors. And however beautiful and interesting 
in itself a native tree or flower or other plant may be, however engaging 
to the attention may be a native bird or beast, how much more so 
when we think of what this bird or beast or flower or tree has been in 
the lives of generations of our fellow creatures who have lived here and 
loved this land and its teeming native life long before we ever saw it. 

So, it is with the purpose of directing the attention of our people to 
the wealth of lore, of legend and story and myth, and of wonder and 
beauty which lies all about us here if we but look and listen, that this 
little volume is presented. 

The title of this book is suggested by one of the popular names of the 
flower which is the subject of the opening story of the volume. This 
flower, the earliest of all to bloom in springtime over all the northern 

[4] 



prairies, has a number of popular names, among which are Pasque 
flower, Gosling flower, and Prairie Smoke flower. The latter name is 
suggested by the nebulous appearance presented by a patch of the bluish 
flowers blooming upon a prairie hillside in early spring, while all other 
vegetation is still brown and dead. At such a time, with all their blos- 
soms tremulous in the spring wind, they appear to the view like a pulsing 
cloud of grayish-blue smoke hovering low over the ground. 

Besides the reference to this dearly-loved prevernal flower the term 
"prairie smoke" also connotes a number of other engaging conceptions. 
To one who has lived upon the prairie this term will recall lively recollec- 
tions of both sight and scent. It will recall to the imagination memories 
of rolling billows of smoke which he has seen covering miles of advancing 
lines of prairie fire; he will see again in memory the tiny blue spirals of 
smoke showing where some solid particles still smoulder hours after the 
line of fire has passed on leaving behind a vast blackened waste. It will 
recall to him also the rare, intangible blue haze which for days after 
such a fire lay like a veil over all the plain, and through which the sun 
appeared like a great red disk hanging in the sky, while the air was 
redolent with an indescribable tang. Again, it brings to mind the wisps 
of smoke which once curled upward in the quiet summer air from stove- 
pipes projecting from the roofs of prairie sodhouses, or which on 
snowy winter mornings hung above them like thin white scarfs against a 
vast background of blue overhanging a white world. 

It will bring to mind also other days and other scenes of this same 
prairie country, when there might be seen wreaths of smoke issuing 
from the domes of the hemispherical-shaped houses of villages of Man- 
dans, Pawnees, or Omahas, upon the hills and river terraces, their labor- 
iously tilled cornfields and gardens in the fertile alluvial valleys near by. 
Or, again, it will recall the scene of an encampment of some o(f these 
people out upon the prairie on a buffalo hunt in quest of their meat 
supply. The encampment is a circle of conical tents, a circle of perhaps 
a half mile in diameter. Before each tent the evening fire is twinkling in 
the dusk upon the green of the prairie, a circle of friendly lights, each the 
centre of a family group, while a few stars begin to twinkle in the blue 
of the sky above, and the sunset colours glow in the horizon. 

Some or all of these sights and scents, and others also, will present 
themselves according to the experience of the one who comprehends the 
title "Prairie Smoke." 

So it is hoped that to each one who reads this little volume it may 
indeed be as a "wisp of prairie smoke," and shall bring a real savour of 
the prairie and at least a slight realisation of what the Prairie was before 
it was swept by the destructive Fires of Change. 



[5] 



DEDICATION 

To the Real Pioneers of the Great Plains: to those whose questing 
spirit first sought out the wonders and the beauties of this land; — its 
vast reaches, league upon league, of grassland, verdant in springtime, 
sere and red and brown in autumn; its inviting valleys and its forbidding 
buttes; — to those whose moccasined feet made the first human footprints 
upon the turf of these prairies and upon the sands of these river mar- 
gins; whose self-reliance made them the first to breast the current of 
these streams; whose humble footpaths over the land have now become 
the transcontinental highways of the world's travel and trade; to those 
who first slaked thirst at these cool, clear watersprings, whose hunger 
was first satisfied by the fruits of this land, and who, in eating and in 
drinking, devoutly gave thanks to our tender Mother Earth for her boun- 
ties, receiving them gratefully as sacred gifts to be prudently used and 
thankfully enjoyed, and never to be wasted; who knew and loved this land 
in all its spacious extent, east to west and south to north; who reverenced 
its sacred places, the holy watersprings, the grand and silent hills, the 
mysterious caves, the eery precipices, — all places where their fathers had 
with prayer and fasting sought and obtained the favour of the gods, and 
where the gods had granted revelations and given wisdom to their 
fathers; to those whose eyes first beheld this land in its virgin beauty, 
fresh and joyous, unscarred and unspoiled, clean and wholesome, ani- 
mated, with exuberance of life of many species of both plant and animal 
in wonderful balance and adjustment, spontaneously replenished; and who 
held it a form of sacrilege to violate or in any way endanger the over- 
throw of that delicate balance of nature; — to those first inhabitants of 
this land which we now inhabit; 

That something of their appreciation, of their love and reverence 
for the land and its native life, something of their respect for its sacred 
places and holy associations; that something of their sense of its charm, 
of its beauty and wonder, may come to us; that we may the more worthily 
occupy and more sympathetically enjoy our tenure of this land. 

To these ends and purposes this book is hopefully and earnestly 
dedicated. 



16] 



NATURE AND HEALTH 

The philosophy of health and wholesomeness of the native Americans, 
the Indians, was to live in accordance with nature and by coming as 
much as possible into direct physical contact with the elements in na- 
ture, such as the sunshine, the rain and snow, the air and earth. They 
felt the need and desire to be in frequent and immediate contact with 
"Mother Earth," to receive upon their persons the strong rays of the 
sun, the restorative efficacy of the winds from the clean sky, and to 
bathe daily in living streams. 

The priest of a certain ritual of the Pawnee nation visited Washing- 
ton. He admired the Washington monument as he viewed it from the 
capitol. When he went over to visit the monument he measured the 
dimensions of its base by pacing; then he stood up and gazed toward its 
summit, noting its height. Then he went inside; but when he was asked 
whether he would walk up the stairway or go on the lift, he said: "I 
will not go up. White men like to pile up stones, and they may go to the 
top of them; I will not. I have ascended the mountains made by Tirawa." 
(Tirawa is the Pawnee name of God.) 

Some years ago Mr. Louis J. Hill took a party of people of the 
Blackfoot tribe to New York City as his guests. They were interested 
in the sight of the great engineering feats as manifested in the great 
structures of the city. But they were unwilling to be cooped up in the 
rooms of the hotel, so they made arrangements to be allowed to set up 
their tents upon the hotel roof so that they might at least have the 
natural sunlight and the outdoor air. 

In an ancient Pawnee ritual there is a hymn which begins with the 
words, "Now behold; hither comes the ray of our father Sun; it cometh 
over all the land, passeth in the lodge, us to touch and give us strength." 
And in another stanza of this hymn, referring to the passing of the 
sun, it continues, "Now behold where has passed the ray of our father 
Sun; around the lodge the ray has passed and left its blessing there, 
touching us, each one of us." 

So it was ever the aim to live in accord with nature, to commune 
often with nature. A word of admonition from the wisdom lore of the 
Menomini tribe says, "Look often at the moon and the stars." And the 
Winnebagoes have a wise saying: "Holy Mother Earth, the trees and all 
nature, are witnesses of your thoughts and deeds." Another admoni- 
tion of Winnebago wisdom is: "Reverence the Unseen Forces that are 
always near you and are always trying to lead you right." 



SPIRIT OF LIFE 

In the following verses Dr. A. McG. Beede of Fort Yates, North 
Dakota, has translated a prayer he once heard uttered by an old man of 
the Dakota nation who had just come from bathing in the river and was 
standing upon a hill giving expression to his feeling of adoration: 



[7] 



Spirit of Life in things above 
And lovelier in things below, 
We pray to Thee, All-being-love, 
Spontaneous in our hearts to grow. 

Our Father Life, we live in Thee 
And pray for glory which is Thine, 
And by our living may we be 
As Thou art in the Life divine. 

The trees and flowers and watersprings 
Are singing good old songs of mirth, 
So may we sing while music brings 
The good old joy o'er all the earth. 

Spirit of Life, sing on, sing on; 
Sing till our aching hearts find rest 
And anxious fear is past and gone, 
And like the rivers we are blest. 

The earth is singing, hark the song; 
The whispering breezes floating by, 
The waterstreams gliding along, 
Reflecting faces in the sky. 

Spirit of Life, we worship Thee, 

With waterstreams and trees and flowers; 

So may our new-born spirits be 

As Thou art, and Thy glory ours. 



ATTITUDE TOWARDS NATIVE LIFE 

People of European race resident in America, (Americans we call 
ourselves) have sentimental regard toward the plants and animals na- 
tive to Europe, some of which, domesticated by our ancestors, we have 
brought with us to America. But most of our people have not developed 
such sentiments toward the plants and animals native to America. 
Literary allusions, songs and stories refer to trees, flowers, birds and 
other forms of life pertaining to our old home lands in Europe, but not 
to those of America. People of our race have been inhabitants of 
America now for three centuries, and still we have not made ourselves 
at home here; we have not formed sentimental attachment to the land and 
to its native forms of life. 

It is a pity for a people not to be so attached to the country in which 
they live that their sentiments shall be first of all for the forms of life 
that are native to their own country.. Otherwise there is a disharmony 
which lessens happiness and is harmful in many ways. 

Lacking friendly feeling for the plants and animals native to Amer- 
ica there has been a tendency to destroy these things in a ruthless man- 
ner; and this can hardly be prevented by law unless we can awaken 
sentimental feelings for the native forms of life in America such as that 
which our ancestors had for forms of life native in Europe. 

Indians, the native Americans, have friendly sentiments, and even 
feelings of reverence for the forms of life native to America. 

[8] 



I once asked an old Omaha what was the feeling of Indians when 
they saw the white men wantonly killing buffaloes. As soon as he com- 
prehended my question he dropped his head and was silent for a moment, 
seeming to be overcome by sadness; and then in a tone as though he 
were ashamed that such a thing could have been done by human beings, 
he answered: "It seemed to us a most wicked, awful thing." 

Most white men can not comprehend the sense of pain experienced 
by Indians at seeing the native forms of life in America ruthlessly and 
wantonly destroyed with no compunction on the part of the destroyers. 
And this destruction of the forms of native American life by white peo- 
ple gave to Indians a sense of a fearful void in nature, coupled with a 
feeling of grief, of horror, of distress and pain. It was not funda- 
mentally the thought of the loss of their food supply, but the contem- 
plation of the dislocation of the nice balance of nature, the destruction of 
world symmetry. 

White Horse, an old man of the Omaha tribe in Nebraska, said to me 
in August, 1913: "When I was a youth the country was beautiful. Along 
the rivers were belts of timberland, where grew cottonwoods, maples, 
elms, oaks, hickory and walnut trees, and many other kinds. Also there 
were various vines and shrubs. And under all these grew many good 
herbs and beautiful flowering plants. On the prairie was the waving 
green grass and many other pleasant plants. In both the woodland and 
the prairie I could see the trails of many kinds of animals and hear the 
cheerful songs of birds. When I walked abroad I could see many forms 
of life, beautiful living creatures of many kinds which the Master of 
Life had placed here; and these were, after their manner walking, flying, 
leaping, running, feeding, playing all about. Now the face of all the 
land is changed and sad. The living creatures are gone. I see the land 
desolate, and I suffer unspeakable sadness. Sometimes I wake in the 
night and I feel as though I should suffocate from the pressure of this 
awful feeling of loneliness." 

Indians generally were shrewd and discerning observers of the life 
and habits of plants and animals. The careful study of plants and ani- 
mals was a considerble part of the courses of study in their system of 
education, which included much more than is supposed by persons who 
have not made themselves acquainted with Indian life. They were well 
informed in plant and animal ecology, and in knowledge of range of 
species. They took cognizance of the habits of animals in the animals' 
dwelling places. An old Indian once told me how a muskrat lays up 
stores of food in his house. He compared the appearance of the musk- 
rat's stores to that of a grocer's goods on the shelves of his store. Many 
old Indians have told me what kinds of food are stored by different 
species of animals which lay up stores. They often speak of such ani- 
mals as lay up food stores as being civilized animal nations, and of those 
which do not make such provision as being uncivilized. 

They attribute great wisdom to certain species of animals. This dis- 
position results from discerning observation of the animals' works and 
ways. The beaver notably is reputed to be very wise and industrious. 
Indians often sought to gain the favor and learn the wisdom of various 



[9] 



animal species by endeavoring to place themselves en rapport with the 
guardian genius of the species. 



INDIANS' APPRECIATION AND LOVE OF THEIR 
HOMELAND 

In the rituals of the various tribes may be found numerous expres- 
sions of the love and reverence which the people had for Holy Mother 
Earth in general and for their own homeland in particular. And in 
their thought of their homeland they did not regard it as a possession 
which they owned, but they regarded themselves as possessed by their 
homeland, their country, and that they owed her love and service and 
reverence. The following song is found in an ancient ritual of the 
Pawnee nation which is given entire in the Twenty-second Annual Re- 
port of the Bureau of American Ethnology, Part 2. This song plainly 
reflects the topography and the scenery of the country of the Pawnee 
nation, that part of the Great Plains traversed by the Solomon, Repub- 
lican, Platte, Loup, and Niobrara rivers. 

SONG TO THE TREES AND STREAMS 
I 

Dark against the sky yonder distant line 

Lies before us. Trees we see, long the line of trees, 

Bending, swaying in the breeze. 

II 

Bright with flashing light yonder distant line 
Runs before us, swiftly runs, swift the river runs, 
Winding, flowing o'er the land. 

Ill 

Hark! O hark! A sound, yonder distant sound 

Comes to greet us, singing comes, soft the river's song, 

Rippling gently 'neath the trees. 

In the foregoing song one can hear the constant murmur of the 
summer southwind as it blows in that country for days, and see the 
broad stretch of the great level land, gently undulating in places, with 
its eastward-flowing streams bordered by zones of trees, the timbered 
zones along the stream courses being the only forest land in that country. 



SACRED TREES 

A people living under natural conditions in communion with nature, 
will carefully note the appearance of natural objects in their environ- 
ment. They become acquainted with the various aspects of the land- 
scape and of the living things, plants and animals in their changes 
through the seasons, in storm and calm, in activity and in repose. Be- 
coming thus intimately acquainted with the life about them the people 
will come to regard some of the more notable forms with a feeling akin 
to that which they have towards persons, and hence they come to have 
place in folk stories, in reasoned discourse and in ceremonies of religion. 

Commonly throughout the region of the Missouri River was to be seen 
the cottonwood, the willows of several species and the cedar or juniper. 



[10] 



The appearance and habits of these trees impressed themselves power- 
fully upon the mind and imagination of the Indian folk. 

The cedar or juniper was wonderful because it was ever green; unlike 
other trees it appeared indifferent to frost and to heat, but alike in win- 
ter and summer retained its leaves. Also it appeared to be withdrawn, 
solitary and silent, standing dark and still, like an Indian standing upon 
a hill with his robe drawn over his head in prayer and meditation. Thus 
it gave the suggestion, and had the appearance of being in communion 
with the High Powers. 

Leaves and twigs of cedar were burned as incense in ceremonial rit- 
uals in order that evil influences might be driven away. 

Willows were always found growing along watercourses, as though 
they had some duty or function in the world in connection with water, 
the element so immediately and constantly needful to man and to all other 
living things. Water was not only imperatively necessary for vivifying 
and reanimating all living things, but was an active agent in processes 
of change and transmutation. In cases of disease the evil influences 
which plagued the body might be driven out and thus health might be 
restored through the use of water transformed into vapor by means of 
heat. So the vapor bath was used. Also if a man contemplated the 
undertaking of any serious project, any dangerous mission, or any 
solemn enterprise, it was important first to prepare himself by purifica- 
tion, by means of the vapor bath, from all evil influences. The frame- 
work of the vapor bath lodge was made of willow poles, bent and tied 
with their bark. 

The willow was also mystically connected with that greatest change 
of all, the departure of the spirit from the body, the change which we 
call death. Willow twigs had certain uses in funeral rites. 

The cottonwood was found growing over a widely extended range, 
under diverse climatic conditions, appearing always self-reliant, showing 
prodigious fecundity, and having wonderful means of propagation. It 
provided its seed, produced in enormous number, with a device by which 
they traveled on the wind to far places and so became widely dissemin- 
ated in all directions, traveling up-stream or down-stream, and even 
across the plains and prairies to other streams where the new genera- 
tion might establish itself. But besides this admirable provision to 
insure the perpetuation of its kind it had also another means of propa- 
gation; though by this means it could move only down-stream. This 
method of propagation is by the making of cuttings or planting slips 
from its own twigs. It is well known that the gardener may make arti- 
ficial cuttings of many kinds of trees and plants, and so increase his 
stock. But the cottonwood, alone among trees, performs this operation 
itself. At the beginning of autumn the cottonwood trees form layers 
of cork cells which gradually wedge off part of its twigs from the parent 
branch, thus covering and healing the wound of separation and also 
covering and healing the base of the separated twig so that it falls off 
alive and protected from loss of sap. 

Falling thus to the ground just about the time that autumn rains are 
about to begin, they are ready to be carried away by the rising waters 

[11] 



of the streams and may be thus planted in a mud or sand bank further 
down stream, ready to take root and grow in the springtime. 

In the springtime the opening of the cottonwood buds and pushing 
out of the young leaves, even when chilly nights follow the bright 
breezy days and the rapid growth of these lustrous leaves, brightly 
dancing in the spring winds, their brilliant sheen and active movement 
reflecting the splendour of the sun like the dancing, glinting ripples of 
a lake, suggest the joy and eagerness and energy of movement of all 
returning life. 

The foliage of the cottonwood is peculiar and remarkable so that it 
may be said the air is never so still that there is not motion of cotton- 
wood leaves. Even in still and sultry summer afternoons, and at night 
when all else was still, ever they could hear the rustling of cottonwood 
leaves by the passage of little vagrant currents of air. Secret messages 
seemed ever to be passing in soft whispers among the cottonwood leaves. 
And the winds themselves are the bearers of the messages and com- 
mands of the Higher Powers, so there was constant reminder of the 
mystic character of this tree. 

The cottonwood was, among trees, the symbol of fidelity, one of the 
four great virtues inculcated by the ethical code of the people of the 
Dakota nation. 

So from all these considerations, it might be expected that this tree 
should have an important place in the rituals of the people for many 
generations associated with it. And so it had. 

The Sacred Pole of the Omaha nation was made of the cottonwood. 
The Sacred Pole was an object of the greatest veneration to the people 
of that nation, similarly as the Ark of the Covenant was sacred to the 
Hebrew nation. 

The Sacred Tree, the central object of the Sun Dance, the most mo- 
mentous religious ritual of the Dakota nation, was a cottonwood. The 
tree which should be chosen to be felled and brought into camp and set 
up in the lodge erected for the performance of this ritual, must be a 
growing cottonwood tree, the base of whose trunk is not less than two 
spans in circumference. The tree must be straight and forked at a dis- 
tance from the ground of about four times the measure of the outstretched 
arms from hand to hand. 

Twigs and bark of cottonwood were burned as incense to ward 
against the scheming of Anog Ite, the spiteful malevolent being who 
foments scandals, strife and infidelity. 

Such then, were some of the relations in the philosophic thought, 
the religious conceptions and the sentiments of the people of the Dakota 
nation in regard to these three species of trees. 



THE SONG OF THE PASQUE FLOWER 

The pasque flower (Pulsatilla patens), has a very extensive range 
upon the northern prairies, reaching from about latitude 43 degrees 
north to the Great Slave Lake above 60 degrees north latitude. It is the 
earliest flower to put forth its blossoms in the springtime, often appear- 
ing before all the snow is gone. Its bluish purple flowers gladden the bare 
brown hillsides with great profusion of bloom, an earnest of returning 
life. For this reason it has a strong hold upon the affections of all the 
native tribes throughout all its extended range. The plant is closely re- 
lated to the anemone, which is sometimes called the wind flower. 

The people of the Dakota nation have a number of pretty little folk 
stories concerning the pasque flower. One story is that in the long ago, 
whenever any of the people happened to pass by where these flowers were 
blooming they tried to show the friendliness which they felt for human 
beings by nodding their heads in the chilly spring wind, showing their 
smiling faces and saying, "Good morning! Good morning !" But the 
people passed them unheeding. They became abashed at this indiffer- 
ence, so nowadays still feeling friendly towards the people in spite of 
such rebuffs, they bashfully turn their heads to one side as they nod and 
call their kindly greetings in their sweet low voice. 

There is another pretty conceit connected with the pasque flower. 
Indians generally are keenly observant of all things in nature, and rever- 
ent towards them. They feel reverence for all living creatures, whether 
plant or animal. They have songs and stories about most of the species 
of plants and animals with which they are acquainted, the specific song 
being the expression of the life or soul of the species to which it per- 
tains. The song of the pasque flower, translated out of the Dakota 
language into English runs something like this: 

"I wish to encourage the children of other flower nations 

Which are now appearing over all the land; 

So while they waken from sleep and rise from the bosom 

Of Mother Earth, I stand here old and gray-headed." 
The saying: "I wish to encourage the children of other flower na- 
tions," refers to the very early prevernal blossoming of this plant and 
its consequent ripening while the other flower species (nations) are just 
peeping through the ground. The entire plant is hairy, and when ma- 
ture its seed head is plumose and white, similar to the clematis head, 
suggesting the head of a very old man with long white hair. This ex- 
plains the allusion in "I stand here old and gray-headed." 

When in springtime an old man of the Dakota nation first finds 
one of these flowers it reminds him of his childhood, when he wandered 
over the hills at play as free from sorrow and care as the birds and the 
flowers. He sits down near the flower, upon the lap of Mother Earth, 
takes out his pipe and fills it with tobacco. Then he reverently holds the 
pipe towards the dearth, then towards the sky, then towards the north, 

[13] 



the east, the south and the west. After this act of silent invocation and 
thanksgiving, he smokes. Tobacco was sacred and was used ceremonially 
as an incense. The pipe was therefore a sort of censer, and was accord- 
ingly treated with respect and reverence. In smoking, Indians did not 
seize the pipestem in the teeth. Such an act would be sacrilegious. The 
mouthpiece of the pipestem was gently presented to the lips and the 
breath drawn through. By this inspiration the smoker united the 
mystery of the tobacco, the mystery of fire and the mystery of the 
breath of life. 

While the old man sits by the flower and smokes he meditates upon 
all the changing scenes of his lifetime; his joys and sorrows, his youth- 
ful hopes, his accomplishments, his disappointments, and upon the guid- 
ance of the Unseen Powers accorded to him thus far upon the journey 
of life, and he is encouraged to believe that he will be guided to the end 
of life's journey "beyond the fourth hill" of life; as he has been guided 
over the hill of childhood, the hill of youth, and the hill of manhood's 
prime, that he will also be guided over the last hill, the hill of old age. 

After finishing his pipe he empties the ashes reverently upon the 
ground near the pasque flower which he has been contemplating. Then 
he rises and plucks the flower prayerfully and carries it carefully home 
to show to his grandchildren, singing as he goes, the song of the pasque 
flower, which he learned as a child and which he now teaches to his 
grandchildren, commending to them the example of the flower in its. 
courage and endurance and its faithfulness. 



THE SONG OF THE PASQUE FLOWER 
By Rev. Ignatius Forster, O. S. B. 
Mount Marty, Yankton, South Dakota. 
February 1, 1921. 

Lovely Pasque Flower, Slowly they waken, 

Herald of Spring, Lowly they sigh: 

Proclaiming the hour, "Wasn't that beckon 

Gladly to sing. Pasque Flower's cry?" 

Gently thou greetest They rise in raiments 

The wintry sun; Of colors bright; 

Boldly thou peepest Pasque Flower's garments 

If snow is gone. Are hoary white. 

Callest thy playmates Noble thy preaching, 

Who still do sleep: Pasque flower brave; 

"Arise, lo, spring waits! "Work," is thy teaching, 

No longer weep." "Unto the grave." 

Lovely Pasque Flower, 
Herald of Spring 
Proclaiming the hour 
To work and sing. 
Father Forster was moved to write this delightful little song upon 
reading one evening, (February 1, 1921), the foregoing prose account of 
the Dakota (Sioux) Song of the Pasque Flower or Hoksi-Cekpa Wahca. 

THE PRAIRIE ROSE 
The prairie was gray and drab, no beautiful flowers brightened it,, 
it had only dull greenish-gray herbs and grasses, and Mother Earth's- 



[14] 



heart was sad because her robe was lacking in beauty and brightness. 
Then the Holy Earth, our mother, sighed and said, "Ah, my robe is not 
beautiful, it is sombre and dull. I wish it might be bright and beautiful 
with flowers and splendid with color. I have many beautiful, sweet and 
dainty flowers in my heart. I wish to have them upon my robe. I wish 
to have upon my robe flowers blue like the clear sky in fair weather. 
I wish also to have flowers white like the pure snow of winter and 
like the high white cloudlets of a quiet summer day. I wish also to 
have brilliant yellow flowers like the splendor of the sun at noon of a 
summer day. And I wish to have delicate pink flowers like the color of 
the dawn light of a joyous day in springtime. I would also have flowers 
red like the clouds at evening when the sun is going down below the 
western edge of the world. All these beautiful flowers are in my heart, 
but I am sad when I look upon my old dull, gray and brown robe. 

Then a sweet little pink flower said, "Do not grieve mother, I will go 
up upon your robe and beautify it." So the little pink flower came up 
from the heart of Mother Earth to be upon the sad prairie of her 
mother's robe. 

Now when the Wind Demon saw the pink flower there he said, "Indeed 
she is pretty, but I will not have her trespassing in my playground." So 
the Wind Demon rushed at her shouting and roaring and blew out her 
life, but her spirit returned to the heart of Mother Earth. 

And when the other flowers ventured, one after another to come out 
upon .the prairie which was Mother Earth's robe, the Wind Demon de- 
stroyed them also and their spirits returned to the heart of Holy Mother 
Earth. 

At last Prairie Rose offered to go and brighten the appearance of 
Mother Earth's robe, the prairie. Mother Earth said fondly, "Yes, dear, 
sweet child, I will let you go. You are so lovely and your breath is so 
sweet, it may be that the Wind Demon will be charmed by you, and 
that he will let you remain on his ground." And Prairie Rose said, "Yes, 
dear mother, I will go, for I desire that my mother's robe shall be beau- 
tiful. But if the Wind Demon should blow out my life my spirit shall 
return home to the heart of my mother." 

So Prairie Rose made the toilsome journey up through the dark ground 
and came out upon the sad gray prairie. And as she was going Mother 
Earth said in her heart, "Oh, I hope the Wind Demon will allow her to 
live for I wish my robe to be beautiful!" 

Now when the Wind Demon saw Prairie Rose he rushed at her shout- 
ing and said, "Indeed, though she is pretty I shall not allow her to be 
upon my ground. I will blow out her life." So he came on roaring and 
drawing his breath in strong gusts. Just then he caught the fragrance 
of the breath of Prairie Rose. "Ah," he said, "how sweet her breath is! 
Why, I do not have it in my heart to blow out the life of such a beautiful 
little maiden whose breath is so sweet! I love her. She shall stay here 
with me. And I must make my voice gentle and sing a melodious song, 
for I wish not to frighten her with my awful noise." 

So he became quiet and breathed gentle breezes which passed over 
the prairie grasses whispering and humming little songs of gladness. 

[15] 



Then the other flowers also came up through the dark ground and 
out upon the dull, gray prairie and made it bright and joyous with their 
presence. And the wind came to love all the flowers and the grasses. 

And so the robe of our Mother Earth became beautiful because of the 
loveliness and the sweet breath of the Prairie Rose. 

Sometimes the Wind forgets his gentle songs and becomes loud and 
boisterous, but he does not harm a person whose robe is ornamented with 
the color of Prairie Rose. 



THE SONG OF THE WILD ROSE 
The following is a translation into English out of the Dakota 
language by Dr. A. McG. Beede, of an old Dakota song. The people of 
the Dakota nation, and other tribes also, think of the various plant and 
animal species as having each their own songs. With these people music, 
song, is an expression of the soul and not a mere artistic or artful 
exercise. 

Where the word "Mother" appears in the following song it refers to 
"Mother Earth," a living, conscious, holy being in Indian thought. The 
earth was truly venerated and loved by these people, who considered 
themselves not as owners or potential owners of any part of the land, 
but as being owned by the land which gave them birth and which supplied 
their physical needs from her bounty and satisfied their love of the 
beautiful by the beauty of her face in the landscape. 

The trilled musical syllables at the close of the last two stanzas 
express the spontaneous joy which comes to a person who has "life-appre- 
ciation of Holy Earth." 

The first stanza is an introduction by the narrator; not a part of 
the "Song of the Wild Rose." The remaining stanzas are the song itself,, 
of the Wild Rose. 

I will tell you of something I know, 
And you can't half imagine how good; 
It's the song of wild roses that grow 
In the land the Dakota-folk love. 
From the heart of the Mother we come, 
The kind Mother of Life and of All; 
And if ever you think she is dumb, 
You should know that flowers are her songs. 
And all creatures that live are her songs, 
And all creatures that die are her songs, 
And the winds blowing by are her songs, 
And she wants you to sing all her songs. 
Like the purple in Daydawn we come, 
And our hearts are so brimful of joy 
That whene'er we're not singing we hum 
Ti-li-li-li-i, ta-la-la-loo, ta-la-la-loo! 
When a maiden is ready to wed 
Pin wild roses all over her dress, 
And a rose in the hair of her head; 
Put new moccasins onto her feet. 
Then the heart of the Mother will give 
Her the songs of her own heart to sing; 
And she'll sing all the moons she may live, 
Ti-li-li-li-i, ta-la-la-loo, ta-la-la-loo! 

[16] 



USE OF THE GROUND BEAN BY INDIANS 

There is a native wild bean found growing over an area of wide dis- 
tribution in North Dakota. The botanical name of this bean is Falcata 
comosa In the Dakota language it is called maka ta omnicha, which 
means "bean of the earth;" in the Pawnee language it is called ati-kuraru, 
which means "earth bean." The plant grows in dense masses over 
shrubbery and other vegetation in some places, especially along banks 
and at the edge of timber. 

It forms two kinds of branches, bearing two forms of flower, pro- 
ducing two forms of fruits. Leafy branches climb up over the shrub- 
bery, but under these, in the shade, prostrate on the earth, starting out 
from the base of the main stem, are leafless, colorless branches, form- 
ing a network on the surface of the ground. The tiny inconspicuous 
blossoms borne on these prostrate branches are self-pollinated and push 
into the leaf mold and soft soil, and there each produces a single large 
bean closely clothed by a thin filmy pod or husk. These beans which 
are formed in the earth are about the size of Lima beans. Upon the up- 
per, leafy branches are borne showy, purplish flowers appearing like 
small bean blossoms. From these blossoms are produced small bean pods 
about a half inch to an inch in length. These pods contain each from 
three to four or five small, hard, mottled beans about an eighth of an 
inch long. 

The large beans produced in the ground are desirable for food. They 
are of good flavor when cooked. The small beans of the upper branches 
are also good for food, but they are so small and difficult to harvest that 
not much use is made of them by the people. The large beans formed in 
the earth would also be hard to gather but for the help of certain little 
animals called voles, or wood mice, or bean mice. The voles dig the 
large beans and store them in considerable quantities in storage places 
which they hollow out in the ground and which they cover over with 
sticks and leaves and earth. In these places the little animals put away 
sometimes a peck or a half bushel of beans. 

Through all the extensive range of Falcata comosa, the ground-bean, 
it was sought by the people of the various Indian tribes to add to their 
food supply. The people said they did not take away all the beans from 
the voles as it would be wicked to loot^the animals' food stores and leave 
the animals to starve after they had worked to gather them. But they 
would take a part of the store, in a manner making themselves beggars 
to the little animals. The Omahas have a saying that "The bean mouse 
is a very industrious fellow, he even helps human beings." 

But in all accounts I have had from the people of the Dakota nation 
the women have always said that they never took away any beans from 
the voles without making some payment in kind. They said it would be 
wicked and unjust to take the beans from the animals and give nothing 
in return. So they said they always put back some corn, some suet, 
or some other food material in exchange for the beans they took out. In 
that way they said both they and the little animals obtained a variety 
in their food supply. They said they thought it very wrong to deprive 

[17] 



the animals of their store without such payment, but that it was fair if 
they gave a fair exchange. 

The people of the Dakota nation speak of the wood-mice or voles 
by the designation of "Hintunka people." In the Dakota theory of the 
universe they personify the maternal power and spirit by the name 
Hunka. Hunka is the mystic All-Mother in nature, the mother of all liv- 
ing beings, plant or animal, which of course includes mankind. For 
they do not think of mankind as being apart from nature and the com- 
munity of life in the world. 

The Dakotas have a moral story which is told as follows: 
A certain woman went and plundered the store-house of some Hin- 
tunka people. She robbed them of their entire food supply without even 
giving them anything at all in return. The next night this woman who 
had robbed the Hintunka people of all their food supply heard a woman 
down in the woods crying and saying "Oh, what will my poor children 
do?" It was the voice of one of the Hintunka women crying over her 
hungry children. 

The same night the woman who had done the wrong had a dream. In 
her dreams Hunka appeared to her and said "You should not have taken 
the food from the Hintunka people. Take back the food to them, or else 
your own children shall cry for food." 

The next morning the woman told her husband what Hunka had 
said to her. Her husband said "You would better do as Hunka tells 
you to do." But the woman was hard-hearted and perverse and would 
not restore to the Hintunka people the food of which she had robbed 
them, neither would she give them anything in exchange. 

A short time after this a great prairie fire came, driven by a strong 
wind, and swept over the place where this unjust woman and her family 
were camping. The fire burned up her tipi and everything it contained, 
and they barely escaped with their lives. They had no food nor shelter 
and they had to wander on the prairie destitute. 

The bean-mouse and its works are regarded with respect, admiration 
and reverence by the people of the various Indian tribes which benefit 
by its labor. They feel very resentful towards any seeming tendency 
to meddle unwarrantedly with its winter store-houses. Upon hearing of 
the desire of a white man to make a photograph of such a store-house an 
old man of the Teton-Dakota on the Standing Rock Reservation ex- 
pressed bitter resentment and declared himself ready to fight to prevent 
such a thing from being done. He said "We have enough misfortune 
already, counting the war and the epidemic of influenza, without inviting 
further disaster by such sacrilege." 

In the month of November, after the bean mice have harvested their 
beans and laid them up in their store-houses for the winter, the people 
often go out alone and sit near some such store-house in silent meditation 
on the ways of Providence. At that time of the year the missionaries 
and priests are often pained and puzzled because of the absence of some 
of their church members from Sunday service or from mass on Sunday 
morning. They do not know, and likely would not appreciate or under- 
stand the feeling which has caused these people to go out at such a 



[18] 



time, not to the church but out to the quiet place under the open heaver 
where they sit upon the lap of Mother Earth to reverently and thank- 
fully meditate upon the mysteries of nature and the wonderful provisions 
of God in nature. 

At such times they like to bring in to their homes or to their 
churches some object connected with the bean mouse and his marvelous 
ways and work. If they find some beans which the bean mouse has 
spilled in transportation to his store-house, or a tree-leaf which they 
suppose he has used as his sled for carrying his beans from field to store- 
house, they will bring in such objects and lay them up reverently in the 
home or in the church with devout regard for prayerful meditation. In- 
dians say that the bean mouse uses a leaf of the boxelder tree, or some- 
times another kind of leaf of suitable shape, as a sled for gathering his 
stores. 

At one time an old blind man of the Teton Dakota on the Standing 
Rock Reservation on the upper Missouri River went out to the vicinity 
of a vole's store-house to meditate and pray. A man saw him and 
quietly approached within hearing distance. As the old man was 
blind he did not perceive the approach of the observer. Thinking him- 
self alone in the presence of the powers of nature, this devout old man, 
gave expression to his religious feeling in the following prayer: . 

"Thou who art holy, pity me and help me I pray. Thou art small, but 
thou art sufficiently large for thy place in the world. And thou art suf- 
ficiently strong also for thy work, for Holy Wakantanka constantly 
strengthens thee. Thou art wise, for the wisdom of holiness is with 
Thee constantly. 

"May I be wise in all my heart continually, for if an attitude of 
holy wisdom leads me on, then this shadow-troubled life shall come into 
constant light." 



TIPSIN: AN IMPORTANT NATIVE FOOD PLANT 

Over all the dry prairies of the Great Plains region there grows a 
plant (Psoralea esculenta), which was an important item of the food 
supplies of all the tribes of the region. It is a species which belongs 
botanically to the Bean Family. The part used for food is the large root, 
which is stored with proteid and starchy matter. The root is about the 
size of a hen's egg. The stem of the plant is bushy and branched; the 
leaves are trifoliate. The leaves and stems of the plant are hairy, giving 
it a grayish-green appearance. The flowers are set in close racemes at 
the ends of the branches, and are bluish in color and of bean blossom 
shape. 

In the journals of the early travellers mention of this plant is often 
found under the name of "pomme blanche" or "pomme de prairie," the 
name by which the French traders and trappers called it, for they 
learned to live upon the native products of the land. English speaking 
people coming later, and depending not so much on native products, did 
not supply names for them, not considering them of enough importance. 
The name which I have given it for a common English name is an ap- 

[19] 



proximation to, and an adaptation of the name of this plant in the Da- 
kota language. 

Tipsin roots are gathered in June or early July. They were used fresh 
when gathered, and they were also gathered in quantity and peeled and 
dried for future use. The women gathered them by the use of digging 
sticks. They had their children with them to look for the plants while 
they dug them. Because of the branching habit of the plant the mother 
would say to her children, "See, they point to each other. Now here is 
one, notice the directions in which its arms point and you will find 
others." So the children would start, each in the direction of one of the 
branches, and of course, if they followed in any direction and kept close 
watch they would find another. The idea of the plants pointing to each 
other kept the children's attention fixed. 



HOW THE PEOPLE OBTAINED THE PRECIOUS 
GIFT OF CORN 

All the tribes which cultivated corn had legends accounting for its 
acquisition. Many of these are very interesting and beautiful. In the 
Sacred Legends of the Omaha, of which account is given in "The Omaha 
Tribe," Twenty- seventh Annual Report of the Bureau of American Eth- 
nology, by Alice Fletcher and Francis La Flesche, occurs the following 
legend of the finding of corn: 

"Then a man in wandering about found some kernels, blue, and red, 
and white. He thought he had secured something of great value, so he 
concealed them in a mound. One day he thought he would go to see if 
they were safe. When he came to the mound he found it covered with 
stalks having ears bearing kernels of these colours. He took an ear of each 
kind and gave the rest to the people to experiment with. They tried it 
for food, found it good, and ever since have called it their life. As soon 
as the people found the corn good, they thought to make mounds like 
that in which the kernels had been hid. So they took the shoulder blade 
of an elk and built mounds like the first and buried the corn in them. So 
the corn grew and the people had abundant food." 

While the legend does not designate what tribe it was which first 
obtained corn, it is probably to be identified with the following fuller 
account which is also told in the Omaha Sacred Legends, and which re- 
cites that they first learned of corn and obtained seed of it from the 
Arikara. The story tells how the Arikara first obtained corn by divine 
favour, and then how they gave it to other tribes, among these fortunate 
ones being the Omaha. It should be remembered that at the time the 
Omaha came to where they now reside and have resided for 
some centuries, the Arikara were in the region of what is now northern 
Nebraska, so they were then neighbors of the Omaha. No doubt the 
declaration of the legend that the Omahas did first obtain com from 
the Arikara is based on fact, in that corn culture among the Omaha 
had been borrowed from the Arikara, who later migrated farther north 
along the upper Missouri River. 



[20] 



The story runs thus: 

"The Arikara were the first to obtain the maize. A young man 
went out hunting. He came to a high hill, and, looking down upon a 
valley, he saw a buffalo bull standing in the middle of a bottom land 
lying between two rivers at their confluence. As the young man 
searched the surroundings to find how he might approach the buffalo he 
was impressed with the beauty of the landscape. The banks of the two 
rivers were low and well timbered. He observed that the buffalo stood 
facing north; he saw also that he could not approach from any side with- 
in bowshot. He thought that the only way to get a chance to shoot the 
buffalo would be to wait until the animal moved close to the banks of 
one of the rivers, or to the hills where there were ravines and shrubs. So 
the young man waited. The sun went down and the buffalo had not 
moved; the young man went home disappointed. He lay awake nearly all 
night brooding over his disappointment, for food had become scarce and 
the buffalo would have afforded a good supply. Before dawn the young 
man arose and hastened to the place where he had discovered the buffalo 
to see whether the animal might be somewhere near, if it had moved. 
Just as he reached the summit of the hill, where he was the day before, 
the sun arose, and he saw that the buffalo was in the same spot. But 
he noticed that it was now facing toward the east. Again the young 
man waited for the animal to move, but again the sun went down while 
the buffalo remained standing in the same spot. The hunter went home 
and passed another restless night. He started out again before dawn and 
came to the top of the hill just as the sun arose, and saw the buffalo in 
the same place still, but it had now turned to face the south. The young 
man waited and watched all day, but when darkness came he once 
more had to go away disappointed. He passed another sleepless night. 
His desire to secure game was mixed with curiosity to know why the 
buffalo should so persistently remain in that one spot without eating or 
drinking or lying down to rest. He rose upon the fourth morning before 
dawn, his mind occupied with this curiosity, and made haste to reach 
the hill to see if the buffalo still stood in the same place. Morning light 
had come when he arrived at the hill, and he saw that the buffalo was 
standing in exactly the same place, but had turned around to face the 
west. He was determined now to know what the animal would do, so he 
settled down to watch as he had throughout the three previous days. He 
now began to think that the animal was acting in this manner under the 
influence of some unseen power for some mysterious purpose, and that 
he, as well as the buffalo, was controlled by the same influence. Dark- 
ness again came upon him and the animal was still standing in the same 
position. The young man returned home, but he was kept awake all 
night by his thoughts and wondering what would come of this strange 
experience. He rose before dawn and hastened again to the mysterious 
scene. As he reached the summit of the hill dawn spread across all the 
land. Eagerly he looked. The buffalo was gone! But just where the 
buffalo had been standing there appeared something like a small bush. 
The young man now approached the spot with a feeling of curiosity and 
of awe, but also something of disappointment. As soon as he came near 



[21] 



he saw that what had appeared from a distance like a small bush was 
a strange unknown plant. He looked upon the ground and saw the 
tracks of the buffalo; he observed that they turned from the north to 
the east, and to the south, and to the west; and in the centre there was 
but one buffalo track, and out of it had sprung this strange plant. He 
examined the ground all around the plant to find where the buffalo had 
left the place, but there were no other footprints except those he had 
already seen near the plant. He made haste to reach his home village. 
There he notified the chiefs and elders of his people concerning the 
strange experience which he had had. Led by the young man they pro- 
ceeded to the place of the buffalo and examined the ground with care, and 
found that what he had told them was true. They found the tracks of 
the buffalo where he had stood and where he had turned, but could find 
no trace of his coming to the place nor of his going from it. Now while 
all these men believed that this plant had been given to the people in this 
mysterious manner by Wakanda for their use, still they were not sure 
what that use might be nor in what manner it should be used. The 
people knew of other plants that were useful for food, and the season for 
their ripening, and, believing that the fruit of this strange plant would 
ripen in its proper time, they arranged to guard and protect it carefully, 
awaiting with patience the time of its ripening and further revelation 
of its purpose. 

"After a time a spike of flowers appeared at the top of the plant, but 
from their knowledge of other plants they knew that the blossom was 
but the flower and not the fruit. But while they watched this blossom, 
expecting it to develop into fruit, as they expected it would, a new growth 
appeared from the joints of the plant. They now gave special attention 
to the new growth. It grew larger, and finally something appeared at 
the top which looked like hair. This, in the course of time, turned from 
pale green to dark brown, and after much discussion the people con- 
cluded that this growth at the side of the plant was its fruit, and that it 
had ripened. Until this time no one had dared to approach within touch of 
the plant. Although they were anxious to know the uses to which the 
plant could be put, or for which it was intended, no one dared to touch it. 
While the people were assembled around the plant uncertain and unde- 
termined how to approach the examination of it to learn its possible 
use, a youth stepped forward and spoke: 

" 'Every one knows how my life from childhood has been worse than 
useless, that my life among you has been more evil than good. There- 
fore, since no one would regret, should any evil befall me, let me be the 
first to touch this plant and taste of its fruit, so that you may not suffer 
any harm and that you may learn if the plant possesses qualities which 
may be for our good.' When the people gave their assent the youth 
stepped forward and placed his hands over the top of the plant and 
brought them down by the sides of the plant to the roots in the manner 
of giving thanks and blessing. He then grasped the fruit, and, turning 
to the people, said, 'It is solid; it is ripe/ Very gently then he parted 
the husks at the top, and again turning to the people, he said, The fruit 
is red.' Then he took a few of the grains, showed them to the people, 



[22] 



then ate them, and replaced the husks. The youth suffered no ill effects, 
and the people were convinced that this plant was given them for food. 
In the autumn, when the prairie grass had turned brown, the stalks and 
leaves of this plant turned brown also. The fruit was plucked and put 
away with carefulness. The next spring the kernels were divided among 
the people, four to each family. The people removed to the place where 
the strange plant had appeared, and there they built their huts along 
the banks of the two rivers. When the hills began to be green from the 
new prairie grass, the people planted the kernels of this strange plant, 
having first built mounds like the one out of which the first plant grew. 
To the great joy of the people the kernels sprouted and grew into strong 
healthy plants. Through the summer they grew and developed, and the 
fruit ripened as did that of the original plant. The fruit was gathered 
and some was eaten, and was found to be good. In gathering the fruit 
the people discovered that there were various colours — some ears were 
white and others were blue, some were red, others were yellow. 

"The next season the people gathered a rich harvest of this new plant. 
In the autumn these people, the Arikara, sent invitations to a number of 
different tribes to come and visit them. Six tribes came; one of these 
was the Omaha. The Arikara were very generous in the distribution of 
the fruit of this new plant among their guests, and in this manner a 
knowledge of the plant came to the Omaha." 



A GROUP OF PAWNEE HYMNS TO CORN 

The Pawnee had migrated from the distant southwest into the 
Plains region, finally arriving at the region drained by the Republican, 
the Platte, and the Niobrara rivers. Corn was native in Mexico, and had 
been introduced into the Plains by gradual adaptation in cultivation 
along the line of migration of the Pawnee nation. These hymns express 
something of the high value which the people placed upon corn as an 
item of their daily sustenance. They also reflect something of the scen- 
ery of the Plains landscape. These hymns are from an ancient Pawnee 
ritual which is given entire in the Twenty-second Annual Report of the 
Bureau of American Ethnology, Part 2. 

MOTHER CORN 
I 

Mother with the life-giving power now comes, 
Stepping out of far-distant days she comes, 
Days wherein to our fathers gave she food; 
As to them, so now unto us she gives, 
Thus she will to our children faithful be. 
Mother with the life-giving power now comes! 

, II 

Mother with the life-giving power is here. 
Stepping out of far distant days she comes. 
Now she forward moves, leading as we walk 
Toward the future, where blessings she will give, 
Gifts for which we have prayed granting to us. 
Mother with the life-giving power is here! 



[23] 



LEADERSHIP OF MOTHER CORN 

I j 
The Mother leads and we follow on, 
Her devious pathway before us lies. 
She leads us as were our fathers led 
Down through the ages. 

II 

The Mother leads and we follow on, 
Her pathway straight, where a stage each day 
We forward walk, as our fathers walked 
Down through the ages. 

The two preceding hymns reflect the fact that corn was introduced 
by the Pawnee from their more ancient homeland in the faraway south- 
west in remotely past time into the region of their later residence in the 
plains. They also reflect the importance which corn had in the everyday 
life of this people. 

The following hymn to Mother Corn as Guide is expressive of the 
sense of vastness and awesomeness of the great extent of the Plains, 
and something of its grimness. 



GUIDANCE OF MOTHER CORN 
I 

Looking o'er the prairie, naught our eyes discern there, 
Wide the land stretches out before us; 

Then we cry aloud to Mother Corn: "Doth thy pathway lie here?" 

II 

Heeding now our crying, while our eyes she opens, 
Mother Corn moveth out before us 

On the lonely prairie, where we see straight the pathway lies 
there ! 

* * * 

The following hymn of thanks for the corn shows something of the 
religious feeling of the Pawnee and their gratitude to Providence for 
the gift of corn. 

A HYMN OF THANKS TO MOTHER CORN 
I 

See! The Mother Corn comes hither, making all hearts glad! 
Making all hearts glad! 

Give her thanks, she brings a blessing; now, behold! she is here! 

II 

Yonder Mother Corn is coming, coming unto us! 
Coming unto us! 

Peace and plenty she is bringing; now, behold! she is here! 



THE FORGOTTEN EAR OF CORN 
A woman of the Arikara tribe was harvesting her crop of corn, 
making ready to store it away in a safe place where she might be able 
to get it for use during the long cold winter. She went along gathering 
the ears and placing them in convenient heaps so that she could gather 



[24] 



them up to carry to the storage place she had prepared. When she had 
finished her work she started to go, but she heard a voice like the voice of 
a little child, crying and calling pitifully: "Oh, do not leave me! Do not 
go away without me." 

The woman was astonished at what she supposed was the voice of 
a lost child. She said to herself: "What is this? Can it be some child 
has wandered and has been lost in my cornfield? I must go and look 
for it," 

So she laid down her burden of gathered corn, and went back into 
the field to make search. But she found no child anywhere in the field. 

Then she started once more to take up her burden and leave the field. 
But again she heard the plaintive little voice crying: "Oh, do not leave 
me! Do not go away without me." 

Then she went back into the field and searched again for a long time. 
After diligent search she found one little ear of corn which had been 
covered by stalks and leaves. It was the little ear of corn which had 
been crying, fearing to be left to die in the field. So all Indian women 
are very careful in gathering their crops so that nothing shall be lost 
or wasted of the good gifts of the Great Mystery, for they are accounted 
sacred and holy, and it would be wicked to treat them with neglect or in- 
difference. 



HOW THE USEFULNESS OF WILD RICE WAS 
DISCOVERED 
(A Chippewa Myth) 
Wenibozho and his grandmother, Nokomis, lived together in a 
lodge by themselves. When he approached manhood his grandmother 
exhorted him to exert himself, to learn to endure hardship, loneliness, 
cold and hunger and thirst, for such experience is the proper training for 
a young man. A young man needs such training so that when overtaken 
by misfortune he shall be brave and resourceful; so that he may be able 
to take care of himself and of any who may be dependent upon him. 

So, one day Wenibozho told his grandmother he was going away into 
the wilderness where he had never been before, so that he could be cast 
upon his own resources to try his strength and courage and wit. 

He was gone many days and nights, wandering through the forest and 
beside streams and lakes. He subsisted upon such fruits, seeds, roots and 
tubers as he was able to find, and upon the flesh of animals he was 
able to shoot with his bow and arrow which he had brought with him. 
One day he came to a lake in which was growing a great quantity of 
beautiful, feathery wild rice, swaying over the water in the gentle breeze. 
From the bark of a birch tree he fashioned a canoe in which he rowed 
out upon the lake and gathered a quantity of the wild rice. He did not 
know the wild rice was useful for food, for he had never seen it before, 
but he admired its beauty. He took the wild rice which he had gathered 
to his grandmother. He told her of the beautiful plant which he had 
found in the lake and that he had brought to her some of the seed of 
the plant. This seed they sowed in another lake near the place where 



[25] 



he lived with his grandmother, for he hoped to have the beautiful plant 
growing where he might often enjoy its beauty. 

Again he went away into the forest so that he might become accus- 
tomed to endure hardships and also that he might learn wisdom from the 
living creatures, not only from the moving creatures, but also from those 
other living creatures, the plants of all kinds. While walking he thought 
he heard a voice saying, "Sometimes they eat us." He stopped and lis- 
tened and again he heard the words "Sometimes they eat us." This time 
he perceived that the words came from some bushes near which he was 
passing. Finally he spoke, saying, "To whom are you talking?" He 
was told that he was the one to whom the bush was speaking, so he dug 
up the plant and found that it had a long root. He tasted the root and 
it was pleasant to the taste, so he dug more, and ate a great many, so 
many that he was made ill. He was too ill to travel, so he lay there three 
days. Finally he was able to rise and move on, but he was hungry and 
weak. As he passed along other plants spoke to him, but he was now 
afraid to eat of them. Then as he was walking along a stream he saw 
some bunches of grass growing up out of the water which beckoned to 
him and said, "Sometimes they eat us." He was so hungry, and the 
graceful grass was so tempting, that he was constrained to gather some 
seeds of it and eat. The taste was pleasing, and its effect upon his 
hunger was so gratifying that he said, "0, you are indeed good! What 
are you called?" The Grass replied, "We are called manomin," which is 
the name which the Chippewa people call this plant. Wenibozho waded 
out into the water and gathered the grains by handfuls and ate it, and so 
continued till his hunger was fully satisfied. From eating the manomin 
he suffered no ill effects whatever, but was strengthened wonderfully. 
Finally he remembered the grain which he had discovered on his former 
journey and which he and his grandmother, Nokomis, had sown in the 
lake near their home. When he returned and found it growing and 
compared it with this grain which he had now found to be so good, he 
perceived that it was the same sort. So he found that this beautiful grass 
which he had growing in the lake near home was really manomin, as 
pleasant to the taste and as satisfying to hunger as it was beautiful to 
the eyes. Ever since that time the Chippewas have known how to value 
the good gift of manomin. 



A STORY OF THE SUNFLOWER 

Once on a time, long ago, a company of men were going upon a 
war expedition. And now as they were within the country of the enemy 
they were proceeding very cautiously. One morning very early they 
heard what seemed to be the sound of someone singing in a tremulous 
voice, coming from the direction toward which they were marching. They 
stopped and stood still to listen. 

As they stood thus listening it seemed to them that the singer, who- 
ever he might be, must be a clown, for he was singing a clownsong. 
There was not light enough to see the singer. But they waited silently 
and anxiously peering ahead in the direction from which came the sound 

[26] 



of the singing. At the first glimmer of the dawn light they were able to 
make out the appearance of a man walking with an awkward shuffling 
gait. His robe was ragged and his leggings drooped down slouchingly 
in wrinkles about his ankles as he walked. He had great circles about his 
eyes painted a bright yellow and he was singing a clown song in a husky 
wheezy voice. 

So they stood in wonder regarding the clown who was coming to- 
ward them. He was coming toward the sun rising and as the daylight 
grew brighter they were astonished to see the man suddenly changed to 
a sunflower. 

And ever since that time, it is said, the sunflower is inclined to face 
toward the sun. 



DAKOTA FOLKLORE OF THE SPIDERWORT 
The spiderwort (Tradescantia bracteata) and (Tradescantia occi- 
dentals ) is a beautiful native prairie flower which is known under nu- 
merous popular names. It is called spiderwort, spider lily, ink flower, 
king's crown, and various other names. It has been proposed to add to 
the list another name, "flower-of -romance." This name is proposed from 
the circumstance of a bit of pleasing sentiment connected with this 
flower in the folklore of the Dakota nation of Indians. 

It is a charmingly beautiful and delicate flower, deep blue in color, 
with a tender-bodied plant of graceful lines. There is no more appeal- 
ingly beautiful flower on the western prairies than this one when it is 
sparkling with dewdrops in the first beams of the rising sun. There 
is about it a suggestion of purity, freshness and daintiness. 

When a young man of the Dakota nation is in love, and walking alone 
on the prairie finds this flower blooming, he stops and sings to it a song 
in which he personifies it with the qualities of his sweetheart's person- 
ality as they are called to his mind by the appearance of the flower be- 
fore him, its characteristics figuratively suggesting the characteristics 
of her whose image he carries romantically in his mind and heart. In 
his mind the beauties of the flower and the charms of the girl are mu- 
tually transmuted and flow together into one image. 

The words of his song, translated from the Dakota language into the 
English, are something like this: 

"Tiny, gladsome flower, 
So winsome and modest, 
Thou art dainty and sweet, 
For love of thee I'd die." 



[27] 



THE FAITHFUL DOG 

The dog was the companion and servant of the people over all parts 
of North America, and previous to the introduction of the horse into the 
western hemisphere by the Spaniards, the dog was the only domestic an- 
imal which the Indians had. After horses were introduced by the Span- 
iards, they soon came into use by the Indians, and in a comparatively 
short time they were widely spread over the continent. 

But in former days the dog was the only beast of burden which the 
Indians had. They served as watchers at night, as companions and 
helpers in the chase, and as bearers of burdens in transportation service. 

Once on a time a hunting party of men of the Dakota nation were 
in the buffalo grazing country in the time of the winter hunt. Scouts 
were sent out each day to look for a herd and to bring back report to 
the officers. One day one of the scouts discovered a herd near a certain 
lake. He came into camp in the evening, as soon as he could after he 
found the herd. At once he went according to the law and rendered his 
report to the proper officers. After reporting he went to his lodge and 
had his evening meal and then lay down to rest from the weariness of the 
day's scouting. 

The officers held council and made the plans for the next days activ- 
ities of the hunting field. Then they sent the herald around the camp 
to announce the orders for the next day. 

At the earliest light next morning every one in camp was up and 
making preparations for the day's work. It was yet early in the day 
when the hunters reached the lake where the scout had discovered the 
buffalo herd the previous day. Here they found the buffaloes still feeding. 
At the command of the officers the hunters and their dogs were deployed 
to surround the herd for the slaughter, for the meat supply of the people 
had become low, and at this opportunity they must replenish their pro- 
vision. 

The herd was feeding upon a strip of land which was surrounded 
on three sides by a lake. The plan was to advance upon the herd from 
the base of this strip of land and force them out into the lake where the 
huge animals would be at a disadvantage upon the slippery ice. 

The men and dogs charged upon the herd and soon the great mass of 
shaggy beasts were forced out upon the treacherous ice where they were 
struggling in great confusion. Many were killed before the herd finally 
reached the shore of the lake and scrambled up the steep bank and fled 
away over the plain. 

The sun was already past the middle of the sky and the hunters were 
busy with the work of skinning the carcasses and dressing the beef, 
making ready to carry back to camp their prize of meat, hides, and other 
useful products, when suddenly they saw and felt a great change in the 
sky and in the air. The threatening signs were evident of the swift ap- 
proach of a blizzard, the dreadful and terrific winter storm of fierce, 
roaring wind and driving snow and frightful cold which frequently sweeps- 
over the northern plains. 

[28] 



The hunters made haste to reach camp which had been made in the 
shelter of the woods not far away. Here a certain number had been de- 
tailed by the officers to make camp and to gather firewood, while the 
others had been taking care of the meat. Now as the fearful storm 
threatened, they gathered in the camp bringing in what they could carry 
of the meat supply. Soon the hunters were refreshing themselves with 
freshly broiled steaks which were much relished by the hungry men, who 
had eaten nothing since the early morning just before they had broken 
camp. The dogs too were given their share. 

The storm was now upon them in its fury; and all about was a 
smothering, dizzying swirl of whiteness as impenetrable as the blackness 
of night. The gale of wind roared unceasingly; the myriad millions of 
tiny snow particles ground upon each other in the swirl of the storm, each 
infinitesimal impact adding to the aggregate of reverberation of sound, 
while the skin tents hummed like enormous drums. 

From time to time those who were already in camp shouted to guide 
the later comers who gave answering shouts and came one after another 
staggering into camp exhausted by the buffeting of the storm. At last 
only one was missing. The herd scout, who had found and reported the 
herd the day before; he and his faithful dog had not yet come in. The 
fury of the storm throughout the night and the next day prevented the 
possibility of going to look for the missing man. 

Toward morning following the second night of the storm its fury 
abated. As is usual, at the end of a blizzard, it was followed by an extra- 
ordinary calm. The drifted plain lay as still and white as marble. The 
stars glistened coldly like ice crystals in the sky. The air was so clear 
that the least sound made by any moving creature was magnified in the 
stillness. 

The hunting camp awoke. Suddenly the game call of the great gray 
wolf was heard. And soon the hunters saw a great number of these 
gaunt gray creatures out upon the ice of the lake and on the plain, dig- 
ging out the white mounds which were the snowdrifts about the carcasses 
of the buffaloes which the hunters had been obliged to leave when ths 
storm came upon them. 

And now among the wolf cries another sound was heard, — the defiant 
barking of a dog! It was the scout's dog. The men hurried toward the 
slaughter field to kill or drive away the wolves. Some wolves were 
dragging away a buffalo carcass, and from among the snarling howling 
pack about this carcass the hunters could distinctly hear the hoarse 
barking of their missing friend's dog, and occasionally they could hear a 
strangely muffled shout of a man sounding as though it came from under 
the ice. 

The hunters finally reached the place to which the carcass had been 
dragged by the wolves. As the men came near the wolves ran away and 
the men saw the dog standing by the carcass for a moment before he 
f<~ll dead as they reached the place. The men with their knives cut open 
the abdominal cavity of the carcass and found the missing scout inside 
wrapped in his robe in a bed of grass and buffalo hair. 



[29] 



When the storm had come upon him at his work he had seen that he 
could not reach the camp so he had opened two of the carcasses and re- 
moved the internal organs. In one he had made a bed for his dog, and 
in the other for himself for protection from the fury of the storm. The 
dog had kept an opening to his shelter, but the man had closed the en- 
trance of his own after he was in, and the hide had frozen solid, making 
him a prisoner. When the wolves came the dog was able to free himself 
and tried to defend his imprisoned master, regardless of his own safety. 
He had been mortally wounded before the hunters could save him. 

As soon as the scout was released he inquired for the dog, his friend 
and defender. When he saw that his loyal friend was dead, having given 
up his life in defense of his master, the scout was deeply moved with 
grief. He knelt down and stroked the head of the dead dog, and said, 
"Ah, my friend; you were courageous and faithful unto death. And you 
died like a brave warrior. You shall have the funeral of a dead war- 
rior." 

So with all due ceremony the scout carried the body of the dog to 
the top of a hill overlooking the lake where he had given up his life in 
doing his duty. There the scout laid the body. Over it he built up a 
tomb of boulders which he gathered from the hills. Then he laid upon 
it offerings of red paint and of food according to the funeral custom of 
his people, and they sang the farewell song for the dead. 

Ever since that time this hill has been known to the Dakotas as the 
Grave of the Dog. 



FOLK SAYINGS ABOUT THE MEADOWLARK 

The cheerful animation and lively manner of the meadowlark have 
made it a favourite with all people who are acquainted with it, both 
whites and Indians. And both whites and Indians attach words of their 
several languages to the notes of the bird. Among sayings in the Eng- 
lish language attributed to the notes of the meadowlark are some ex- 
pressions of banter and raillery. Farmers say that early in springtime 
the meadowlark perches jauntily upon the top of a fence-post and calls 
mockingly to them "You sowed your wheat too soon! You sowed your 
wheat too soon!" Another taunting expression fitted to the meadowlark's 
notes is addressed to girls and young women; it is "You think you're 
pretty, don't you?" 

These locutions in English are in accord with the tone of many say- 
ings ascribed to the notes of the meadowlark by the Hidatsa tribe of 
North Dakota, and with their name of the bird, wia-akumakihishe, which 
means "scolding or shrewish woman," for they say that the meadowlark 
says such taunting, tormenting and aggravating things. One of these 
taunting expressions is "Kitho karishtiditore," which is a most exasper- 
ating saying. Kitho means "that insignificant one," and karishtiditore 
means "good-for-nothing fellow." 

The Omahas also put words of their language to the notes of the 
meadowlark. One of these is Snite thingthi tegaze, which means "winter 
will not come back." A little mixed-blood girl in the Omaha tribe was 
named Marguerite. Now the Omaha language does not contain the sound 



[30] 



of the letter "r," so in trying to pronounce the foreign name of Mar- 
guerite they make it Magathiche. One day a friend of this little girl's 
father was at their house, and he was playfully teasing her because he 
was very fond of her. He said, of course speaking in the Ohama lan- 
guage, "Listen \ do you hear that bird telling about you ? He says : 
'Magathiche hthitugthe !' " The word hthitugthe in the Omaha language 
means "of a bad disposition," so her old friend was teasing her by putting 
words to the bird notes which meant "Marguerite is of a bad disposition," 
or "Marguerite is naughty!" 

One of the sayings which the Pawnees fit to the notes of the meadow- 
lark in their language is "Kichikakikuridu !" which means "I am not 
afraid!" 

The meadowlark is a great favourite with the people of the Dakota 
nation. An old man of that nation was asked if his people ever used 
the meadowlark for food. He said they did not. When it was said that 
white men sometimes eat them, he said he knew that. Then, when asked 
why Dakotas would not eat the meadowlark, he said, "We think too 
much of them. They are our friends." They call the meadowlark "the 
bird of promise," and "the bird of many gifts," for they say it promises 
good things to its friends, the Dakotas. They apply words of the Dakota 
language to the songs of the bird. They say it calls to the people with 
promises and with words of encouragement and good cheer, and that it 
gives counsel and advice on all manner of subjects. One of the things 
which it used to sing out to the people was "Koda, pte kizhozho," i. e.„ 
"Friends, I whistle for the buffalo," that is to say, it would whistle to 
call the buffalo in order that its friends, the Dakotas, might supply their 
needs of meat and clothing. 

A touch of Dakota humour is shown in one saying attributed to the 
meadowlark's notes in these later times since the government has es- 
tablished schools on the reservations to teach the Dakota children in the 
ways of the white men. They say that ofter now the meadowlark is 
to be seen flitting about the school grounds and singing, "One, two, three, 
epedo! One, two, three, epedo!" The Dakota word epedo means "You 
shall say." 

The white people speak of the United States government as "Uncle 
Sam," but the people of the Dakota nation call the government "Tunka- 
shila," which means "Grandfather," a title of the highest respect. In 
the summer of 1918, while the United States was at war with Germany, 
many of the Dakotas said they heard "the bird of promise" singing 
"Tunkashila ohiyelo!" The Dakota word "ohiyelo" means "will be vic- 
torious" or "will have the victory;" so the meadowlark, "the bird of 
promise," was singing to them "The United States will have the victory!" 1 



HOW THE MEADOWLARK WON THE RACE 
A young man named Piya had a beautiful and lovely young wife and 
she was carried away by an evil monster who kept her hidden in his 
dwelling. The young man's grandmother was a very wise old woman. 
She had great knowledge of the birds and beasts and of the trees and 
other plants, and she had mysterious powers and could do many wonder- 



[31] 



ful things. Also she had taught her grandson many things, so that he 
too had uncommon knowledge and powers. 

Now when the monster stole his wife away he came to his grand- 
mother to ask her to help him recover his wife. Before he came to her 
his grandmother knew he was in trouble, so when he came he found her 
waiting for him. She said "I will prepare you for this quest; but first 
bring to me a wolf, a turtle and a meadowlark." Then she brought him 
food; and a#er he had eaten and rested he set out to find the wolf, the 
turtle and the meadowlark. As he journeyed he found all of them, one 
after another, and invited them to eat with him. Then he told of his 
grandmother's wish to have them to aid him in his quest. They each 
consented to help him provided the old woman would give him the thing 
most desired. The wolf said he wished to have a better fur coat so that 
the cold breath of old Waziya, the Old Man Winter, would not chill him. 
The turtle said, "Insects bite me, but I will help you if I shall be given pro- 
tection from insects which suck my blood." The meadowlark said "My 
voice is harsh and I can sing but one note and the magpie laughs at me. 
I will help you if I may be given a pleasing voice so that I can make the 
magpie ashamed." So the young man Piya, the wizard, together with 
his three friends, the wolf, the turtle and the meadowlark came back to 
the tipi of his grandmother. 

She was waiting and expecting him, and said, "Grandson I knew you 
would come and bring with you those whom I want." She invited them 
into her tipi and prepared food and set it before them. The next morn- 
ing Piya told his grandmother that these friends he had brought had 
promised to help him if they should each be given what he most de- 
sired. Then she told them if they would help her grandson she would 
give each one what he most wished. So they were all agreed. She told 
the wolf she wished him to give her grandson the cunning by which 
he could follow a hidden trail and find hidden things; she asked the 
turtle to give him the sense by which he could locate water, so that he 
should be able to avoid perishing of thirst in a desert land; and the 
lark was to give him power to hide himself without covering in the 
open prairie. In return for these gifts the wolf was to have for himself 
and all his people warm fur clothing so that they could laugh at Waziya 
when he would blow his cold breath upon them. The turtle was prom- 
ised that he should have the hard tough covering which he asked, so 
that insects could not bite him. The meadowlark was given a pleasing 
voice so that his songs would make the magpie ashamed. 

After the agreement was made the Old Woman told them that the 
quest on which they had to go would take them into a country where 
there would be no trees, nor much grass nor open trail, and but little 
water in the hidden springs. 

So the wizard, Piya, and his companions, the wolf, the turtle and the 
meadowlark set out upon the quest after the Old Woman had instructed 
them. The wolf taught him how to find hidden trails; the meadowlark 
taught him how to be hidden without covering, and the turtle taught him 
how to find hidden waters prings. 

[32] 



So the help of these friends, together with the powers he already- 
possessed, enabled Piya finally to discover where his wife was hidden by 
the monster, and to rescue her. 

So they all came back to the tipi of the Old Woman. They all re- 
joiced; the young woman because she had been rescued from the power of 
the monster; the young man Piya because he had found his wife; and the 
wolf, the turtle and the meadowlark because they were to have the gifts 
which they had most desired. The Old Woman prepared a feast and they 
feasted until far into the night. 

Next morning the Old Woman gave to the wolf, the turtle and the 
meadowlark each the gift for which he had asked as a reward for helping 
the young man, and they set out together on the trail to return to their 
homes. As they journeyed they talked about the gifts which they had 
received. As they talked they fell into argument, each claiming that his 
gift was the best, and soon they were quarreling and were about to fight. 
But just then a young man came along the trail and he asked them why 
they were quarreling. They told him. He said that quarreling was 
foolish and would decide nothing, but that the only way to determine 
whose gift was the best was to find out which would help most in a trial 
of skill. The wolf proposed a trial in hunting, but the meadowlark and 
the turtle said they could not hunt. The turtle proposed a swimming 
contest, but the wolf and the meadowlark said they could not swim. 
Then the meadowlark in his turn proposed a contest in singing, for he 
was very proud of his gift, but the wolf and the turtle protested that 
they could not sing. 

The young man suggested that they run a race. To this they all 
agreed. The young man told them they must run past a plum thicket, 
across a marsh and up to the top of a certain hill. There they would 
find white clay and colored clay. The winner of the race would be the 
one that first brought back to him some of the white clay. They set out 
upon the race. The wolf and turtle were running side by side; but the 
meadowlark fell far behind. 

When he came near the plum thicket he saw a bundle laid up in the 
forks of a plum bush. He paused and sniffed toward it and the scent of 
it was strange to him, and he became curious about it, and wanted to 
find out what was in the bundle. He asked the turtle to wait. The 
turtle said he would wait for him at the marsh. The wolf walked all 
round the bush and looked carefully at the bundle. Then he rose up 
against the bush and sniffed at the bundle, but still he could not make 
out what was in it. He could not quite reach the bundle, so he leaped to 
try to pull it down. But as he did so the thorns pricked him. He jumped 
again and missed the bundle, but was pricked again by the thorns. Now 
he became angry and determined he would get the bundle. After jump- 
ing many times and being always pricked by the thorns so that he had 
many wounds on his sides and back he finally pulled down the bundle. 
He was so angry that in his vexation he energetically shook it about so 
that it was shaken open and its contents smeared his wounds. This made 
his wounds itch so severely that he had to scratch himself, but this 
made him itch the more. He was in such torment that he scratched 
madly and tore his fur coat and was bleeding, so he forgot the race. 

[33] 



The turtle ran on to the marsh and waited there as he had promised'.. 
After he had waited a long time he concluded the wolf had deceived him 
and had gone on to the hill. Then he saw a small white puffball. It 
looked like a lump of white clay, so the thought came to him that he 
could deceive the young man with it and get even with the wolf for the 
trick he supposed the wolf had played upon him. So he took the puffball 
back and showed it to the young man. Neither the meadowlark nor the 
wolf had returned yet, so the young man told the turtle he was the first 
to return bringing something to show that he had been to the top of 
the hill. 

Now when the meadowlark ran by the plum thicket he saw the wolf 
jumping about one of the bushes trying to reach something which was 
there, so the meadowlark was encouraged to think he might still have 
some chance in the race. He ran on to the marsh, and there he saw the 
turtle waiting, so he was still more encouraged. He then ran on all the 
way to the top of the hill. He was so anxious and flustered when he 
reached there that instead of the white clay which the young man had 
specified as the token of having been to the goal, he made a mistake and 
picked up a lump of the yellow clay and turned to carry it back to the 
young man. As he was crossing back over the marsh again he stumbled" 
and dropped the lump of clay into the black mud. He picked it up and 
hurried on, not stopping to clean off the black mud. When he came near 
to the young man he saw the turtle sitting there and smiling and look- 
ing very satisfied. The meadowlark then thought he had lost the race. 
He was so disappointed and discouraged that he wept. His tears washed 
the black mud off from the lump of clay and made a black stripe, while 
the yellow clay itself was washed down over the whole front of his 
clothes. 

At last the wolf came back scratching and howling in his misery. 
Great patches of fur were torn from his clothes and his skin was raw and 
sore. The turtle taunted the wolf for his crying. He swaggered about, 
and boasted that nothing could make him whimper and cry. The young 
man said that the turtle was the first to return, but that he must make 
good his boast that nothing could make him whimper if he should lose. 
The turtle declared that he would prove all he said in any way the young- 
man should require. The young man then placed the puffball upon the 
turtle's back. The puffball very quickly increased in size and weight 
so that it was all the turtle could bear. It continued to increase in size 
until the turtle was borne down by it to the ground and his legs were 
bent. Still the puffball continued to grow until the turtle's body was 
pressed flat by it, and his breath was pressed out of his body and he' 
lay as if he were dead. Then the puffball became as light as a feather 
and turned black. The turtle recovered his breath a little, but he was- 
unable to straighten his legs or to regain the form of his body, so he 
was ashamed and drew in his head under his thick skin. 

Then the young man laughed loud and long at the plight of the 
wolf, the turtle and the meadowlark, and told them now who he really 
was. He told them that he was Iktomi, the Trickster. He told them that 
because they had foolishly quarreled about the good gifts which the Old 



[34] 



Woman had given to them, instead of making good use of them, they had 
given him the opportunity to play this trick upon them, the marks of 
which would be upon them, and upon their people forever. He said that 
because the wolf had meddled with something which was none of his 
affair he had brought upon himself the torments of the mange, and so 
it would always be with his people whenever they should do as he had 
done. He said that because the turtle had attempted to win by cheat- 
ing, his legs and the legs of all his people should always be short and 
bent and their bodies should be flattened, so they could never run in a 
race. And because he had lied in saying the puffball was white clay, 
therefore he and his people should never again be able to speak, and they 
should always hide their heads for shame. As for the meadowlark, the 
young man said he had won the race, but because he had brought back 
the yellow clay instead of the white, therefore his clothes and the clothes 
of his people should always be yellow in front and there should be a 
black stripe over the yellow. 



INDIAN FOLKLORE OF THE HORNED LARK 

The name of this little bird in the Dakota language is ishtaniche- 
tanka (big eye-tufts) from the tuft of feathers which it has over each 
eye. It is for the same reason that we call it "horned" lark. 

The Dakotas say that this little bird foretells the weather. They 
say that when a hot dry time is coming in the summer the bird sounds 
a single sharp little note; but when rain is coming the bird is glad and 
continuously sings loudly and joyously, "magazhu, magazhu, magazhu!" 
In the Dakota language the word for rain is magazhu. Thus the bird is 
singing its joy for the rain which is coming. 

The name of this bird is hupa-hishe in the Hidatsa language. In that 
language the word for moccasin is hupa, and the word hishe means 
wrinkled. This bird is called "wrinkled moccasin" because of its appear- 
ance in its characteristic habit of crouching upon the ground, where, by 
its grayish-brown color and its black markings it is made inconspicuous 
and hardly distinguishable, suggesting the appearance of a ragged, use- 
less old moccasin. 

The Hidatsas have a story of this bird that it was once acting as a 
spy in enemy country. So while it sat in its characteristic attitude of 
inconspicuousness, two of the enemy were coming along, when one 
thought he saw something. He stopped and said to his companion, 
"Wait, what is that over there?" His companion glanced over and saw 
what appeared to him like nothing but a ragged, rotten old fragment of 
a worn out moccasin, and answered, "O, that is just an old wrinkled moc- 
casin." So the bird escaped his enemies, and it is from that that the 
people call him "hupa-hishe." 



HOW IT CAME ABOUT THAT GEESE MIGRATE 
The Teton-Dakota have a story which says that "Long, long time 
ago" (Mia ehanna) the goose nation did not migrate to the south in the 
autumn, but remained here throughout the winter time. Because of the 

[35] 



rigor of the winter most of the people of the goose nation perished so 
that they were always a small and weak nation. At last one goose had 
a dream of the south-land, that it was pleasant even in winter, that the 
winter there was mild and that there was plenty of food there. So she 
began teaching the other geese that they should practice flying more and 
thus make their wings strong so they could fly to the south-land before 
winter time. Some people of the goose nation believed the vision and 
began to practice flying to make their wings strong for the autumn 
journey. This caused discussion and dissension in the nation, and a law 
was made which banished the goose which had the vision. So they drove 
her out from among them. She practiced flying all summer and made 
her wings strong so that in the autumn she was able to fly to the pleas- 
ant south-land of which she had dreamed. The Mysterious Power which 
had given her the vision guided her on the long journey and she lived 
pleasantly through the winter time. After the first thunder in the 
spring-time she flew back north to her nation. As always before, many 
of them had died during the cold winter-time from the fury of the 
storms and the scarcity of food. But she told them how pleasantly she 
had passed the time in the south-land, and they saw in what good health 
she was, so many more of them now believed her vision and her teaching. 
It was in this way that the geese learned to fly away to the south-land 
in the autumn to escape the storms and cold of winter in this land. 



THE CAPTIVE BIRD: A TRUE STORY OF CHILDHOOD 
IN THE OMAHA TRIBE OF NEBRASKA 

Indians in general have a close sympathy with nature and with all 
living creatures and aspects of nature. And the term living creatures 
includes plants as well as animals, all are living children of Mother Earth 
and have their rights to life according to Indian thought. They do not 
think of humankind as being above and separate from all other creatures, 
but as fellow creatures in a world of life. 

The following incident, which took place about fifty years ago on the 
prairies of Nebraska among a group of children of the Omaha tribe, 
will serve to show the attitude quite commonly held by Indians toward 
other forms of life. It might be well, also to mention in this connection 
that Indian children were taught by their parents to be not wasteful and 
destructive of wild flowers, that they should not wantonly pluck them, for,, 
they were told, if they did so they would thus destroy the flower babies 
and the flower nations would then be exterminated. Indians feel a fear- 
ful dread of the consequences of interfering with the nice balance and 
adjustment of nature. 

It was a bright, warm summer afternoon in northern Nebraska. The 
wild grass, waving in the summer breeze, was like a shimmering emerald 
sea, flecked with varied colour of the many different tribes of wild 
flowers. Overhead was a brilliantly blue sky with here and there slow- 
sailing white clouds whose soft shadows came and passed, silent and en- 
trancing, over the greenth of the prairie. And in all this scene the liv- 
ing creatures were moving, intent upon affairs of their own; the crickets 
and grasshoppers, and the small mammals among the grass, the butter- 
fly flitting from flower to flower, the antelope grazing in groups, and 
now and then a hawk might be seen circling high overhead. 

Across the prairie came a caravan of people with their camp equi- 
page. A band of Omahas was on the summer buffalo hunt. The men 
were widely deployed in front and over a wide extent on both sides far in 



[36] 



advance of the moving column. They were on the lookout for signs of the 
herd. When a herd should be sighted, the scouts who had found them 
would at once report to the officers. When the camp was made the of- 
ficers would confer and make plans for the surround and kill. 

The boys were employed in looking after the herd of extra horses; 
some of the women were with the train of pack animals looking after the 
baggage and camp equipment, others were scattered over the prairie along 
the line of march, carrying digging sticks and bags to gather tipsin 
roots for food. 

Groups of small children, too small to have any particular tasks as- 
signed to them were playing along the way, observing the ways of beast 
and bird and of insects, and admiring the brilliant wild flowers. One 
such group found a fledgling meadowlark, not yet able to fly. They 
captured it and brought it along with them when the band went into 
camp for the night. As the families sat about their tents waiting the 
preparation of the evening meal, the children showed their father the 
captive bird and told him how they caught it. He listened to their 
account and then told them something of the life and habits of the bird, 
its nesting and home life, of its love of life and freedom, and of its 
place in the world under the wise plans of the Master of Life. He 
brought the children to see the unhappiness and the terror which they 
had unwittingly brought upon the captive and the anxiety the mother bird 
would feel over its loss. 

Then he said to them, "Now children, take the little bird back to the 
place where you found it and set it down in the grass, and say '0 Master 
of Life, here is thy little bird which we have set free again. We are sorry 
that we took it away from its home and its people. We did not think 
of the sorrow we should cause. We wish to restore it and have it 
happy again with its people. May we be forgiven for our thoughtless- 
ness and we will not do such wrong again.' " 

The children carried out their father's instructions and placed the 
little bird again as near as they could to the place where they had cap- 
tured it and recited the prayer to the Master of Life which their father 
had admonished them to say. As they returned to the camp the quiet of 
the summer evening lay over all the land, the after-glow of the sunset 
was in the western sky, the white tents stood in a great circle upon the 
prairie, now dusky-green in the twilight which lay upon the land, a 
twinkling camp-fire before each tent. The children were thoughtful. 
They had had a glimpse of the unity of the universe. They never forgot 
the lesson. Years passed, great changes came. The white people were 
coming into the land. Old activities and industries of the Indians were 
destroyed by the changes. The children of that little group went away 
from their people to attend the white men's schools, to learn the white 
men's ways and adapt themselves to those ways. But this did not cause 
them to forget altogether the wisdom and grace of their parental teach- 
ing. Long afterward they told this little story to the writer, who now 
gives it to you, reader, and wishes that you, also may know that there be 
those in all lands and among all peoples who "do justice, love kindness, 
and walk humbly with God." 



THE CHICKADEE 

The chickadee is a very popular bird among all the Indian tribes 
where it is known. They all have many stories and sayings about it. 
They say of it that, though small, it is a very wise bird. It is like the 
wise men, the doctors and teachers among the people, who are learned in 
mysteries and the wonderful things of nature, who keep a calendar of 
the cycle of the days, months and seasons through the year by cutting 
marks upon a piece of wood which they have prepared for that purpose. 

This wise little bird is said also to keep account of the months. It is 



[37] 



said that "in the beginning" the task of keeping account of the months 
was assigned to the chickadee. But instead of making notches in a 
piece of wood as the wise men do this wise bird's method is to make 
notches in its tongue; thus in September its tongue is single-pointed, 
in October it has two points, in November three, and so on until Feb- 
ruary, when it is said that its tongue has six points. Then in March its 
tongue is again single-pointed and the count is begun again. So, it is 
said, the chickadee has been keeping the count of the months since the 
long ago, in the dim past, when the task was assigned to it in the 
time of beginnings, in the time when evil powers and monsters struggled 
mightily to overcome the good, and to destroy mankind by sending fierce 
storms and heavy snowfalls and shuddering cold winds upon the face of 
the earth. It was thus the evil powers sought to discourage and to over- 
come mankind. 

And so it is said that at one time the evil powers supposed that by 
stress of a long siege of cold and storms they had reduced mankind to 
famine. At this time they chose to send the chickadee as a messenger 
to find out the conditions and to bring back word to them. 

Now when the chickadee came on his mission and appeared at the 
dwellings of men he was invited to enter. He was courteously given 
a place by the fireside to rest and warm himself. Then food was 
brought to him. After he had eaten and refreshed himself he was 
anointed with fat, which* was a symbol of plenty; then he was painted 
with red paint, which was for a symbol of the power and mystery of life. 
After these ceremonies and marks of respect his hosts quietly com- 
posed themselves to give attention to whatever their visitor should have 
to say as to the purpose of his visit. When he had stated his mission 
his hosts held counsel and formulated a reply for the mesenger to take 
back to those who had sent him. He was bidden to say to them that 
mankind was still living and hopeful, and they ever would be; that they 
could not be daunted by discouragement, nor defeated by storms and 
stress, nor vanquished by hunger, nor overcome by any hardships; and 
that there never would be a time when there should not be men upon the 
earth. So this is the message which the chickadee brought to the evil 
powers which had sought to overcome mankind. 



THE SONG OF THE WREN 
(A Pawnee Story) 

The incident of this story occurred in the long ago in the country of 
the Pawnee nation, in the broad expanse of the Platte River country in 
what is now the State of Nebraska. The event was in the distant past 
before the Pawnees had ever seen a white man, or any of his works or 
strange devices. The people of the Pawnee nation lived in villages of 
houses built in the manner that the houses of Pawnees had been built for 
generations. Near their villages lay their fields of corn and other crops 
which they cultivated to supply themselves with food. 

It was a beautiful morning in early summer. The sky was clear and 
bright, the dawn-light was showing in the eastern sky. All the land- 

[38] 



scape lay as though still sleeping. There was no movement anywhere. 
A thoughtful priest had risen and had walked out upon the prairie away 
from the village so that he might view and meditate upon the beauty and 
mystery of the firmament of the heavens and of the plane of earth, 
and of the living creatures thereon, both animal creatures and plant 
creatures, for in his mind both were equally wonderful and equally in- 
teresting, as showing the power and the wisdom of the Great Mystery. 
So he walked and pondered upon all the beauty and mystery which lay 
about him, while the face of Mother Earth was still moist with the dew 
of sleep. In a moment the first rays of the sun shone across the land 
touching into sparkling brilliance the myriads of dewdrops, while a gentle 
movement ran through all the grasses and the wild flowers as they 
swayed to the rippling of the gentle morning breeze which pulsed over the 
prairie at the first touch of the morning gleam. 

Where a moment before all had been so still and so silent now there 
was movement and sound. Birds of many kinds raised their tuneful 
voices, showing their joy in life and in the beauty of the morning. The 
priest, whose mind and heart were open to all this beauty and melody, 
stood still and listened. In a moment, among all the other bird-songs, he 
heard one which was clearer and more remarkable than any of the 
others. This song was a most joyous cheerful sound, like happy laughter. 
As he approached he found that the joyous, laughing song came from a 
very tiny brown bird, no larger than his thumb. It was a wren, so small, 
so insignificant in comparison to the size and brilliant plumage of many 
of the other birds, yet it appeared to be the most whole hearted in joy 
and praise and delight in life, as the sweet stream of music welled from 
its little throat. 

The priest looked at the tiny bird, and wisely considered. He said 
to himself: "The Great Mystery has shown me here a wise teaching for 
my people. This bird is small and weak, but it has its proper place in 
the world of life and it rejoices in it and gives thanks with gladness. 
Everyone can be happy, for happiness is not from without, but from with- 
in, in properly fitting and fulfilling each his own place. The humblest 
can have a song of thanks in his own heart." 

So he made a song and a story to be sung in a great religious ritual 
of his people, which was to them like our Bible and prayer-book are to us. 
And the song and story which that thoughtful priest put into the ritual, 
was the story of the wren. And ever since that time so long ago, the 
song has been sung by the Pawnees and has been handed down from 
generation to generation until this time. 



THE WAR EAGLE AND THE JACK-RABBIT 
(A Mandan Story) 
One time a party of men went into a lonely place among the hills far 
away from the village, to enter their eagle pits for the purpose of catch- 
ing eagles to obtain their plumes. One of the men had made his pit far 
out at some distance from any of the others. Another day, as he was 
coming away from his eagle pit, returning to the village, he stopped and 
sat down upon the top of a high hill from which he could enjoy a grand 

[39] 



view of the landscape. Thus he sat looking about over the quiet hills and 
valleys, beyond the bright gleam which showed the course of the river 
winding in and out among the green trees along its borders, far away 
to the dim sky line. Far away on one side he saw a number of elks 
feeding; on the other side he saw a band of graceful antelopes. A doe 
and her fawn were browsing upon some bushes down near the river. 

Aloft he saw the white clouds sailing in the bright blue sky; below 
he saw their shadows moving over the earth, now up a hillside and over 
its crest and then swiftly across a little valley and up the next hillside. 
While he sat enjoying the beauty of the scene he observed a war eagle 
chasing a jack-rabbit. The jack-rabbit continually dodged and circled, 
trying to escape as the eagle swooped toward him. The eagle had several 
times swooped and just missed striking the rabbit. 

Gradually the chase came near to the place where the man was 
seated. The eagle was closely pursuing the rabbit and made a tremend- 
ous swoop towards him. But the rabbit escaped by leaping into the 
man's robe as he sat with it loosely draped about his shoulders and 
knees. 

Then the eagle said "Put that rabbit away from you! He is my prey. 
I intend to eat him." 

But now the rabbit appealed to the man and said, "I have thrown 
myself upon your kindness. Do not turn me away. I beg of you. If you 
save me you shall hereafter have success in your undertakings and you 
shall become a great man." 

Then the eagle spoke again, saying, "His words are not true. Turn 
him away. He can do nothing for you. I, myself will make you great 
if you will do as I request. It is I who speak the truth. My feet are not 
held to the earth and I can also fly in the air far above the earth. I am 
successful in all the things I attempt." 

Once more the jack-rabbit made his plea. "Believe him not, and do 
not turn me away! Even though I must remain upon the ground, and 
cannot fly like ahe eagle, still I have knowledge proper to my condi- 
tions of life, and I know how to do many things suitably and success- 
fully." 

The man made his decision in favor of the jack-rabbit and saved him 
from the eagle. And the jack-rabbit kept his promise to the man, for 
he gave him of his own powers and made him successful in his under- 
takings and helped him with good and wise counsel in times of trouble 
and doubt and perplexity. So the man gained great renown and honor 
and influence among his people. 



HOW COYOTE CHIEF WAS PUNISHED 
(A Mandan Story) 
Coyote Chief was out hunting one day, and he came upon a buffalo 
bull grazing. "Brother," he said, "You have nothing to do just now. Let 
us run a race to see which of us is the swifter." "All right," said the 
buffalo, "let us run." 

"I shall first go and prepare a place for the race," Coyote Chief 
said, "then I shall come back for you." 

[40] 



So Coyote Chief found a high steep bank and placed on the very 
edge of it a small heap of stones. Then he returned to the buffalo and 
said, "Everything is now ready. Let us race over to yonder heap of 
stones which I have set up for a goal. When we are almost to the goal 
let us shut our eyes and run as hard as we can." And so they ran toward 
the heap of stones and the buffalo ran over the bank and was killed by 
falling, just as Coyote Chief had planned. 

But Coyote Chief had nothing with which to skin the buffalo and 
cut up and prepare the meat. So he walked along a little way and came 
to a small clump of timber. As he approached the timber he called out, 
"Brothers, give me a knife." And they gave him a knife. Then he went 
on to another clump of timber. Here he called out,"Brothers, give me an 
earthen pot." And they gave him an earthen pot. He went on again to 
another clump of timber, where he called out, "Brothers, give me a horn 
spoon." And they gave him a horn spoon. 

Then Coyote Chief went back to the place where the buffalo had fal- 
len, and there he built a hunter's lodge of leafy branches of trees. Then 
he skinned the buffalo and pegged out the skin upon the ground and 
scraped it. Next he cut up the meat, and some of it he cut into strips 
and hung it up to dry. 

Coyote Chief had Fox for a servant, to run errands and to work 
about the house. And he treated Fox badly and did not give him enough 
to eat. Fox was hungry, as usual, and tried to help himself to some of 
the buffalo meat, but Coyote Chief saw him and was angry. He seized a 
brand from the fire and thrust it into Fox's face, burning him thereby. Fox 
was hurt so badly that he decided to run away, but he wished first to be 
revenged upon Coyote Chief. So he went around to all the other animals 
and told them how badly he had been used by Coyote Chief. The animals 
were sorry for him and seemed willing to help him to punish Coyote 
Chief. So they held a meeting and talked over the matter to decide upon 
the best way to do this. The decision of the council was that they should 
all go over to his house that night and eat up all his meat while he was 
asleep. 

Coyote Chief had worked hard all day to take care of his meat, and 
had not taken time to eat much. Being tired after his day's work he went 
to bed early. But he was anxious lest some one might come and take 
his meat while he slept, so before going to sleep he said, "Now my 
members, you must watch for me while I sleep. My eyes, if anyone 
peeps in you must stare hard at him. My ears, if you hear a sound, you 
must wiggle. My arms, if anyone comes in you must thrash around. My 
legs, if any one comes near, you must kick." Then he went to sleep. 

That night all the animals gathered at Coyote Chief's house, but 
they were afraid to touch anything till they were sure he was sound 
asleep. So they sent Magpie first to peep in at the door. Magpie went 
and peeped in and saw Coyote Chief's eyes staring hard at him, and he 
went back and said, "He is not asleep, for his eyes stared at me." 

After a time Crow was sent to find if Coyote Chief was not asleep. 
Crow flew up and perched by the smoke-hole. When he looked in Coyote 
Chief's ears began to wiggle. Crow went back and told the animals that 



[41] 



Coyote Chief could not be asleep, for as soon as he looked in Coyote 
Chief's ears began to wiggle. 

A little later Jack Rabbit was sent to look. Jack Rabbit pushed in 
a little at the door, and Coyote Chief's arms began to move up and 
down. So Jack Rabbit went back and reported that Coyote Chief must 
still be awake. 

The animals again waited, and then sent Fox. Fox went inside, and 
then Coyote Chief's legs began to kick, so he ran out and told the others 
that Coyote Chief was still awake. 

Now, after waiting quite a long time, the animals sent Mouse. 
Mouse went in and saw that Coyote Chief seemed to be sound asleep. 
He went up and ran over his legs and there was no motion; then he ran 
over his chest and still Coyote Chief was not disturbed. At last he ran 
over his face, and Coyote Chief did not stir. So Mouse went and told 
the others that Coyote Chief was surely asleep. Then they came in and 
ate up all the meat except a few scraps which dropped while they were 
eating. When they had finished eating they went away without having 
wakened Coyote Chief. 

The next morning when Coyote Chief awoke, he was very hungry be- 
cause he had eaten little the day before, and had worked hard; but he 
found his meat was all gone, and he said to himself, "Oh, why did I not 
eat the meat yesterday instead of waiting!" Then, because he was so 
hungry, he searched about on the ground and found some scraps of meat 
and some small bits of fat. All these he gathered up on a robe. He 
put fresh wood upon the fire, and then sat down by the fireplace with 
the robe over his knees to eat the little he had. But just then a spark 
shot out from the fire and lighted on his hand, which hurt him so that he 
jumped up suddenly, spilling into the fire all the shreds of meat and fat 
which he had so carefully gathered. 

So Coyote Chief got none of his meat, and was punished for the bad 
way he had treated Fox. 

THE SKUNK AND THE BEAR 
(A Mandan Story) 

One day a skunk was going somewhere, travelling quietly along a 
trail, thinking of his own affairs. He did not know it, but a bear was 
coming along the same trail towards him. Neither the bear nor the 
skunk knew that the other was on the trail until suddenly they met. 
They both stopped. Then the skunk said to the bear, "You are on my 
road. Turn out and let me pass!" The bear replied, "Not so. It is you 
who are on my road. Get out of my way!" But the skunk said, "You, 
yourself must turn aside." The bear then said, "Unless you do as I tell 
you I shall eat you at once. I tell you that you are on my road and must 
stand aside. I wonder how skunk meat would taste if I should eat some." 

The skunk said, "I wonder how bear flesh would taste if I should 
eat some." Then suddenly the skunk threw up his brush and sprinkled 
the bear full in the face with his dreadful scent. The bear tumbled out 
of the path, howling in misery, and clawing at his nose and eyes. He 
could not see, and was almost suffocated. 

As for the skunk, he passed on his way as if nothing had happened. 

[42] 



THRILLING ESCAPE OF A WAR PARTY OUTNUMBERED 
AND SURROUNDED BY THEIR ENEMIES 
(A Pawnee Story) 

In the northwest part of Nebraska there is a high butte with per- 
pendicular sides like the walls of a great building. Because of the 
shape of this butte, and because it is composed mostly of a soft rock or 
hard, firm clay, it is called Court-House Rock by the white people. Of 
course it has other names among the Indian tribes of that region. 

This great butte stands out boldly upon the high plain and can be 
seen ,for many miles in all directions overlooking the Platte River. The 
top is almost flat and all sides but one are almost vertical, and are bare 
of vegetation, worn smooth by rain and by wind, impossible to climb. But 
there is a way on one side by which a strong man can make his way to 
the. top. 

This high lonely butte stands on the borderland between the country 
of the Pawnees and the country of the Dakotas. The Dakotas and the 
Pawnees were almost always at war with each other. Many years ago a 
Pawnee war party was camped near this butte when they were surprised 
by a war party of Dakotas stronger in numbers than their own party. 
In the fight which ensued the Pawnees were unable to drive their enemies 
off, but were compelled to take refuge by climbing to the top of the 
butte. The Dakotas were unable to follow the Pawnees upon the butte, 
for the Pawnees were able to guard the single narrow path. But neither 
could the Pawnees escape again upon the open plain for the Dakotas se- 
curely guarded the descent and could easily kill one after another all who 
might attempt to come down that way. So it seemed only a question 
of time before all the Pawnees must die of hunger and thirst upon the top 
of the rock, or come down and give themselves up to death at the hands 
of their enemies. The camps of the Dakotas surrounded the butte, lay- 
ing siege to it to starve the Pawnees out. 

The Pawnees were in a woeful plight. As the sun rose and traveled 
across the sky they could look away for miles and perhaps see flocks of 
antelopes grazing upon the plain, while their own stomachs were pinched 
with hunger; and some miles to the south they could see the flashing sun- 
light gleaming upon the waters of the Platte River, while close at hand, 
at the foot of the butte, they could see their enemies eating and drink- 
ing, which could but serve to aggravate their own hunger and thirst. And 
at night when the scorching sun had sunk in the west they might look 
away to the eastward, in which direction their homes lay many days' 
march distant in the beautiful and fruitful valley of the Loup River; and 
as they looked the twinkling stars appearing one by one near the eastern 
horizon must have made them think of the evening camp fires of their 
home people. And at night the grim chill of the rare air of the high 
butte gripped their bodies in its clutch. And all the while they must 
be very vigilant against their enemies to prevent being overtaken. They 

[43] 



all suffered severely, but the captain of the company suffered most of all; 
for added to the bodily sufferings which he endured in common with his 
men, he also suffered extreme mental anguish, for he felt his responsibil- 
ity on account of his men. Because they had trusted his leadership and 
had put themselves under his orders it seemed that now they must all 
die a horrible death. For himself he dreaded not death so much as to be 
the cause of the loss of his brave men. To him this was far more bitter 
than death. In the night-time he would go away from the others and 
cry out in fervent prayer to Tirawa, begging His help, begging that He 
would show him some way to save his men and bring them off safe. 

And while he was thus praying, he heard a voice saying, "Look care- 
fully and see if you can find a place where you shall be able to climb 
down from this rock and save your men and yourself." So he prayed 
earnestly all night, and when daylight came he went along the edges of 
the butte looking carefully to see if there might be a place where some 
way might be found by which to go down. At last he found a jutting 
point of rock near the cliff edge, and standing above the level. Below this 
point the cliff side was smooth and vertical. It occurred to him that this 
point might be made a means of support from which the men might let 
themselves down the face of the cliff by a rope. When night came again, 
after he had posted the sentries to guard the place of ascent from the 
enemy, he returned to the point of rock and with his knife he cut away 
soft weathered rock at its base to make a secure place of fastening for 
a rope. Then he gathered secretly all the lariats which the company had. 
These he tied together and then, tying one end securely to the rock which 
he had prepared, he carefully paid out the rope and found to his joy that it 
reached the ground below. He made a loop in the rope for his foot and 
then he let himself slowly down to the ground, then he climbed back 
again. When night came again he posted his sentries so that the enemy 
might see them at their posts on the side of the butte above the path, 
but when darkness had fully come they were all gradually withdrawn. 
Quietly calling his men about him he explained his plan and told them 
how they might all save themselves. He sent his men down by the rope, 
one after another, beginning with the youngest and least important of 
the company, and so on up to the men of most importance. Last of all 
the captain of the company himself came down. He and all his men 
crept quietly in the darkness through the Dakota lines and escaped safely. 
The Dakotas directed their vigilance mainly toward the other side of the 
butte where lay the only path, and that a very rugged one, between the 
base and the summit. 

The Pawnees never knew how long the Dakotas kept watch about the 
rock. 



A MANDAN MONUMENT IN COMMEMORATION OF AN 
ACT OF HEROISM 

It is a common instinct among all nations of the human race to 
preserve relics and record memorials of notable persons and events. 
Such monuments vary with the different means and materials at hand. 
Sometimes mounds of earth, sometimes boulders, sometimes cairns of 



[44] 



stones, sometimes hewn stones, and various other devices have been used 
according to circumstances. 

There exists a monument to the memory of a Mandan hero which 
has never before been described and published. The following account 
is from information given by several persons of the Mandan, Hidatsa 
and Arikara tribes. The location of the monument is near the site of 
"Fish-hook Village" on the north side of the Missouri River some twelve 
or fifteen miles east of Elbowoods, North Dakota. 

During the middle part of the 19th century the three tribes, Arikara, 
Hidatsa and Mandan, lived together in alliance against their common 
enemies. Their chief enemies were the Dakota. So these three tribes 
built their three villages adjoining, making one compound village of three 
wards. The village lay upon a well-drainsd terrace of the Missouri River, 
while their farms were laid out in the fertile alluvial "bottom" along the 
river both above and below the village. To the north of the village site 
lies a range of hills. 

The enemy many times made raids upon the village. They would 
approach under cover of the hills to the north and then steal close upon 
the village through the course of a ravine which skirted the northeast 
and north sides of the village. 

About sixty-six years ago such an attack was made by a war party 
of Dakota. Of the defenders of the village, two young Mandans, brothers, 
named Lefthand and Redleaf, had been dismounted and their retreat 
cut off by the enemy. A brother of these two, Whitecrow by name, saw 
the danger of Lefthand and Redleaf and rode out to their assistance. 
Lefthand was killed and Redleaf was defending the body from a Dakota 
who was trying to take the scalp. Redleaf shot at the Dakota and missed 
him, the bullet going over the enemy's head and striking into the ground 
"beyond him, the enemy being crouched low at the time of the shot. 
Whitecrow rode in a cricuit beyond these combatants and held off the 
attacking party of the enemy. He killed the Dakota who was engaged 
in combat with his brother Redleaf. Then Whitecrow picked up Red- 
leaf upon the horse with himself and carried him safely back to the 
village. 

After the enemy had been driven away the Mandans went out and 
marked the course in which Whitecrow had ridden to his brother's rescue, 
the spot where Lefthand had been killed, the spot where Redleaf had 
made his stand, the spot where the Dakota was killed, and the spot 
where Redleaf's bullet fired at the Dakota, had struck the ground. The 
method used for marking these places was by removal of the sod leaving 
holes in the ground. To mark the course of Whitecrow's horse the sod 
was removed in horse-track shaped sections consecutively from the point 
of advance from the village round the place of combat and returning to 
the village. The horse-track marks were made about two feet in 
diameter. All these marks commemorating the entire action, which took 
place about the year 1853 are still plainly evident, being renewed when- 
ever they tend to become obliterated by weathering and by advancing 
vegetation. 

[45] 



THE LEGEND OF STANDING ROCK 

This story of Standing Rock is a legend of the Arikara who once had 
their villages along the Missouri River between the Grand River and the 
Cannonball River. Afterwards, being harrassed by hostile incursions of 
the Dakotas they abandoned this country to their enemies and moved 
farther up the Missouri River, joining themselves in alliance with the 
Mandans. 

One time there was a young girl in this tribe who was beautiful and 
amiable but not given to heedless, chattering, idle amusement. She was 
thoughtful and earnest and conversant with the ways of all the living 
creatures, the birds and the small mammals, and the trees and shrubs 
and flowers of the woodlands and of the prairies. She was in the habit 
of going to walk by herself to visit and commune with all these living 
creatures. She understood them better than most other people did, and 
they all were her friends. 

When she became of marriageable age she had many suitors, for 
she was beautiful and lovely in disposition. But to the young men who 
wooed her she answered, "I do not find it in my heart to marry any one. 
I am at home with the bird people, the four-footed people of the woods 
and prairies, with the people of the flower nations and the trees. I 
love to work in the cornfields in summer, and the sacred squash blossoms 
are my dear companions." 

Finally her grandmother reasoned with her and told her that it 
was her duty to marry and to rear children to maintain the strength of 
the tribe. Because of filial duty she finally said, when her grand- 
mother continued to urge her to marry a certain young man of estimable 
worth who desired her for his wife, "Well grandmother, I will obey you, 
but I tell you that good will not come of it. I am not as others are, and 
Mother Nature did not intend me for marriage." 

So she was married and went to the house already prepared for her 
by her husband. But three days later she came back to her mother's 
house, appearing sad and downcast. She sat down without speaking. 
Finally her grandmother said, "What is it, my child? Is he not kind to- 
you?" The girl answered, "Oh, no, he is not unkind. He treated me 
well." And with that she sped away into the forest. Her grandmother 
followed her after a little while, thinking that out among her beloved 
trees and plants she might open her heart and tell her what was the 
trouble. And this she did, explaining all the trouble to her grand- 
mother. And she concluded her talk with her grandmother with these 
words, saying: "And so you see, grandmother, it is as I said when you 
urged me to marry. I was not intended for marriage. And now my 
heart is so sad. I should not have married. My spirit is not suited to the 
bounds of ordinary human living, and my husband is not to be blamed. 
He is honorable and kind. But I must go away and be with the children 
of nature." So her grandmother left her there where she was sitting by 
a clump of choke-cherries, having her sewing kit with her and her little 
dog by her side. 

She did not return home that night, so the next morning young men 
were sent to search for her. At last she was found sitting upon a hill 



[46] 



iout upon the prairie, and she was turned to stone from her feet to her 
waist. The young men hastened back to the village and reported to the 
officers who had sent them out. 

Then the people were summoned by the herald and they all went 
out to the place where the young woman was. Now they found she 
had become stone as far up as her breasts. 

Then the priests opened the sacred bundle and took the sacred pipe 
which they filled and lighted and presented it to her lips so that thus 
she and they in turn smoking from the same pipe might be put in com- 
munion and accord with the spirit. But she refused the pipe, and said, 
"Though I refuse the pipe it is not from disloyalty or because of un- 
willingness to be at one with my people; but I am different by nature. 
.And you shall know my good will towards my people and my love and 
remembrance of them always, for whoever in summer time places by this 
stone a wild flower or a twig of a living tree in winter time or any such 
token of living, wonderful Nature at any time, shall be glad in his heart, 
and shall have his desire to be in communion with the heart of Nature." 
And as she said these words she turned completely into stone, and her 
little dog, sitting at her feet and leaning close against her was also turned 
into stone with her. And this stone is still to be seen, and is revered by 
the people. It is from this stone that the country around Fort Yates, 
.North Dakota, is called Standing Rock. 



THE HOLY HILL PAHUK 

Each of the nations and tribes of Indians had certain places within 
its own domain which they regarded as sacred, and to which they accord- 
ingly paid becoming reverence. These places were sometimes water- 
springs, sometimes peculiar hills, sometimes caves, sometimes rocky 
precipices, sometimes dark, wooded bluffs. Within the ancient domain 
of the Pawnee nation in Nebraska and northwest Kansas there is a cycle 
of five such sacred places. The chief one of these five mystic places is 
called Pahuk by the Pawnee. From its nature it is unique, being dis- 
tinctly different from any other hill in all the Pawnee country. Pahuk 
stands in a bend of the Platte River where the stream flows from 
the west in a sweep abruptly turning toward the southeast. The head 
of the hill juts out into the course of the river like a promontory or head- 
land, which is the ' literal meaning of the Pawnee word "pahuk." The 
north face of the bluff from the water's edge to the summit is heavily 
wooded. Among the timber are many cedar trees, so that in winter, 
when the deciduous trees are bare, the bluff is dark with the mass of 
evergreen cedar. The cedar is a sacred tree, so its presence adds mystery 
to the place. The Pawnee sometimes also speak of this hill as Nahura 
Waruksti, which means Sacred or Mysterious Animals. This allu- 
sion to the Sacred or Mysterious Animals has reference to the myth 
which pertains to this place. 

All the other tribes throughout the Great Plains region also knew 
of the veneration in which this hill is held by the Pawnee, so they, too, 
pay it great respect, and many individuals of the other tribes have per- 

[47] 



sonally made pilgrimages to this holy place. The people of the Da- 
kota nation call it Paha Wakan, "the Holy Hill." 

The Pawnee speak of the animal world collectively as Nahurak. It 
was believed that the interrelations of all living beings, plants, animals 
and human beings, are essentially harmonious, and that all species take 
a wholesome interest in each other's welfare. It was believed also that 
under certain conditions ability was given to different orders of living 
creatures to communicate with men for man's good. 

The before-mentioned five sacred places of the Pawnee country 
were Nahurak lodges. Within these mystic secret places the animals, 
Nahurak, held council. According to one version the names of the five 
Nahurak lodges are Pahuk, Nakiskat, Tsuraspako, Kitsawitsak, and 
Pahua. Pahuk is a bluff on the south side of the Platte River, a few 
miles west of the city of Fremont, Nebraska; Nakiskat, (Black trees) is 
an island in the Platte River near Central City, Nebraska, dark with 
cedar trees; Tsuraspako (Girl Hill) is a hill on the south side of the 
Platte River opposite Grand Island, Nebraska. It is called Girl Hill 
because it was customary when a buffalo surround was made in its vi- 
cinity for the young girls to stay upon this hill during the surround. The: 
hill is said to be in the form of an earthlodge, even to the extended ves- 
tibule. Kitsawitsak, which white people call Wakonda Springs, is not 
far from the Solomon River near Beloit, Kansas. The name Kitsawitsak 
means "Water on the bank." Pahua is said to be a spring near the 
Republican River in Nebraska. Of these five places Pahuk was chief,, 
and the Nahurak councils of the other lodges acknowledged the superior 
authority of the council at Pahuk 

There are many stories of the wonderful powers resident in these 
sacred places. One of these tells of the restoration to life of a boy who had 
been killed. The story is that a certain man of the Skidi tribe of the 
Pawnee nation desired to gain the favour of Tirawa (Pawnee name of 
God). He thought that if he sacrificed something which he valued most 
highly that Tirawa might grant him some wonderful gift. There were 
so many things in the world which he did not understand, and which 
he wished very much to know. He hoped that Tirawa might grant him 
revelations, that he might know and understand many things which 
were hidden from the people. He strongly desired knowledge, and he 
thought that if he sacrificed his young son, who was dear to him, and' 
the pride of his heart, that Tirawa might take pity on him and grant him 
his desire. He felt very sad to think of killing his son, and he meditated 
a long time upon the matter. Finally he was convinced in his own mind 
that Tirawa would be pleased with his sacrifice, and that then the good 
gifts he desired would be given to him, and that many things now dark 
to his understanding would be made clear, and that he should have abil- 
ity given him to do many things which were now beyond his power. 

One day this man took his boy with him and walked out from the 
village as though on some errand. They walked to the Platte River. 
After they had gone a long distance from the village, as they were walk- 
ing by the riverside, no other persons being near, the man drew out his 
knife and stabbed the boy so that he was quickly dead. The man then 



[48] 



dropped the body of the dead boy over the bank. After a time he re- 
turned to the village, and went into his own lodge and sat down. After 
a while he asked his wife "Where is the boy?" She said "Why, he went 
out with you." The man said "I was out of the village, but the boy was 
not with me." 

He went out and Inquired of his neighbors, and then all through the 
village, but of course the boy could not be found. Then for some days a 
general search was made for the boy, but no trace of him was found. 
After this the family mourned for the lost boy. It was now time for 
the summer buffalo hunt, so in a few days the people set out for the 
buffalo grounds, and the father and mother of the boy also went. 

After the boy's body was dropped into the river it was carried away 
downstream by the current, sometimes being rolled along in shallow 
water at the edge of sandbars and again it would be turned over and 
over in the whirlpool of some deep hole in the channel, for the Platte 
River is a peculiar stream, having a swift current but a wide course with 
deep holes and many sandbars. 

After a time the body floated down nearly to Pahuk. Two buzzards 
were sitting on the edge of a bluff, gazing over the water. So, sitting 
there, one of the buzzards stretched out his neck and looked up the river. 
He thought he saw something in the water floating downstream. He 
stretched his neck again and looked, and turned to the other buzzard and 
said "I see a body." Then they both looked towards the object in the 
water, stretching out their necks and gazing intently. They saw that the 
object was the body of the boy. The first one said "What shall we do 
about this?" The second one said "Let us carry the body down to 
Pahuk, to the hill where Nahurak Waruksti is." So they both flew 
down to the floating body and got under it and lifted it upon their 
backs and carried it to the top of the bluff called Pahuk, over the secret 
cave of the Nahurak Waruksti, and there they placed it upon the ground. 
Then the two buzzards stood quietly gazing upon the body of the boy 
where they had laid it down upon the ground. 

This cave far under the hill was the council lodge of the animals. 
There sat the councilmen of all kinds of animals and birds, great and 
small, which were native to that country. There were the buffalo, the 
beaver, elk, deer, antelope, otter, muskrat, wolf, bear, fox, wildcat, 
badger, bean mice, and many other kinds of animals. And there were 
the swan, the loon, goose, duck, wild turkey, prairie chicken, quail, heron, 
bittern, crane, plover, kildeer, meadowlark, blackbird, owls, hawks, swal- 
lows, crow, chickadee, woodpeckers, grackle, purple martin, and many 
other kinds of birds. There were also snakes, turtles, toads and frogs. 
These were the Nahurak people, the Nahurak Waruksti, the Sacred Ani- 
mals. And the kingfisher was a messenger and errand man for the 
Nahurak council. 

Now it happened when the buzzards brought the body of the young 
man and laid it down on the top of Pahuk, the kingfisher, who was 
flying about over the river on business for the Nahurak, was flying by. 
He stopped and looked at the body. He already knew all that had hap- 
pened, and he was moved with compassion for the boy. So he flew down 

[491 



at once to the water at the foot of Pahuk and dived in at the entrance of 
the Nahurak lodge. He spoke to the assembly of the Nahurak and told 
them all that had happened, and said in conclusion, "And the poor boy 
is up there on the hill. I hope you will have pity on him and will do 
what you can for him. I wish you would bring him to life again." 
When the kingfisher, the messenger, had finished speaking the Nahurak 
held serious council on the matter to decide what they should do. But 
after they had meditated long on the question, and each had spoken, they 
still could not decide the matter. The kingfisher urged the matter, ask- 
ing for a favourable decision, saying, "Come, do take pity on him and 
restore him to life." But they could not come to a decision. At last the 
chief of the council said, "No, messenger, we are unable to decide now. 
You must go to the other Nahurak lodges and find out what they have 
to say about it." The kingfisher said "I go," and flew swiftly out from 
the lodge and up the river to Nakiskat, the Nahurak lodge near Lone 
Tree. There he brought the matter before the council and pleaded for 
the boy as he had done at Pahuk, and told them that he was sent from 
Pahuk to ask the council at Nakiskat for their decision. So the Nahurak 
here at Nakiskat talked over the matter, but at last they said to the 
kingfisher "We are unable to decide. We leave it to the council at 
Pahuk." 

Then the kingfisher flew to the lodge at Tsuraspako, then to Kit- 
sawitsak, and at last to Pahua, and at each place the Nahurak council 
considered the matter carefully and talked about it, but at each place the 
same answer was given. They all siad "It is too much for us. We can- 
not decide what should be done. It is for the council at Pahuk to de- 
cide." 

After the messenger had visited all these lodges and had laid the 
matter before all of them, receiving from each the same answer, he flew 
as swiftly as he could back to the lodge at Pahuk and reported what the 
other lodges had said. They all recognized the council at Pahuk as the 
head council, and deferred the matter to them for decision. But it had 
already been once considered by this council, so the matter was now 
brought before the supreme council of Pahuk. This was a council of 
four chiefs of the Pahuk council who sat as judges to give final consid- 
eration and decision. These judges now reconsidered the matter, and 
finally, when they had talked it over, they said to the kingfisher, "Now, 
messenger, we will not decide this question, but will leave it to you. 
You shall make the decision." 

The kingfisher very quickly gave his decision. He said "It is my 
desire that this poor boy be restored to life. I hope you will all have 
pity on him and do what you can for him." 

Then all the Nahurak arose and went out from the council lodge and 
went up to the top of Pahuk where the body of the boy lay. They formed 
in order and stood around the boy and prayed to the Higher Powers, and 
at last the boy drew breath, then after a time he breathed again, then 
his breath began to be regular. Finally he opened his eyes and sat up 
and looked around in a confused manner. When he saw all the animals 
standing around him he was puzzled and bewildered. He said to himself, 



[50] 



"Why, my father killed me by the riverside, but here I am in the midst 
of this multitude of animals. What does it mean?" 

Then the head chief of the Nahurak council spoke to him kindly 
and reassured him. He was asked to rise and go with the animals into 
the council lodge. When all had gone in and were seated the four judges 
conferred together, then the chief of the four stood up and said, "My 
people, we have restored this boy to life, but he is poor and forlorn and 
needy. Let us do something for him. Let us teach him all we know, and 
impart to him our mysterious powers." The Nahurak were all pleased at 
this proposal and manifested their approval. 

Then the Nahurak showed hospitality and kind attention to the poor 
boy as their guest. He was shown a place to bathe and rest. When he 
had rested, food was brought to him. So he was entertained and treated 
kindly for the full season, and he was instructed by all the animals in 
turn and they taught him their secret arts of healing and imparted to 
him all their wonderful powers. So he remained with them at Pahuk till 
autumn. 

Autumn is a beautiful season at Pahuk, and in all the region of the 
Platte, the Loup, the Republican, and the Solomon rivers in Nebraska 
and Kansas embraced by the cycle of the five Nahurak lodges. At that 
season in that country the sun casts a mellow golden light from the sky, 
while the land is emblazed with the brilliance of the sunflowers and gold- 
enrod. And then the air is quiet and restful. 

So one day at this season the Nahurak said to the boy, "It is now 
the time when the swallows, the blackbirds, the meadowlarks, and other 
kinds of birds will be gathering into flocks to fly away to the southland 
for the winter. The beavers are cutting trees and saplings to store the 
branches under water for their winter food supply of bark; they are also 
gathering into their houses certain kinds of roots for food. The musk- 
rats are repairing their houses and are storing in them the tubers of 
the water-lilies and of the arrow- leaf and of other kinds of plants for 
their winter supply. In the edge of the timber, where the ground beans 
grow, the bean mice are making their storehouses and filling them with 
ground beans and artichokes. And your people have returned from the 
buffalo hunt with a good supply of dried meat and hides. They are now 
busy at home gathering and storing their crops of corn, of beans, and of 
squashes and pumpkins. We have this past summer instructed you in 
our arts of healing and other learning, and have imparted to you our 
mysterious powers, and have taught you about our ways of living. You 
are now competent to use for the good of your people the remedies and 
perform the mysteries which were given to us by Tirawa, and which we 
have now given to you. So you may now return to the village of your 
people. Go to the chiefs of the village and tell them what the Nahurak 
have done for you, and say to them that the people are to bring together 
gifts of drief buffalo meat and dried corn and dried choke-cherries, and 
other kinds of food; of robes and leggings and moccasins embroidered 
with porcupine quills; and of tobacco for incense. All these things the 
people are to send by you as gifts to the Nahurak at Pahuk in recognition 
of the favour which the Nahurak showed to you." 

[51] 



So the boy parted from his animal friends at Pahuk, and promised 
to return and visit them, and to bring them presents to show his thank- 
fulness and the thankfulness of his people for what the animals had done 
for him. He traveled on up the Platte River and reached the village of 
his people in the night. He went to his father's house. He found his 
father and mother asleep and the fire had burned low. There was only a 
little light from the coals. He went to his mother's bed and touched her 
shoulder and spoke to her to waken her. He said "It is I. I have come 
back." When his mother saw him and heard his voice she was surprised, 
but she was glad-hearted to see her boy again. So she wakened the boy's 
father and told him the boy had come back. When the father saw the 
boy he thought it must be his ghost, and he was afraid. But the boy did 
not mention anything that had happened nor say where he had been. He 
said only "I have come back again." 

The next day some of the people saw him, and they were surprised. 
They told their neighbors, and soon it was rumored all over the village 
that the boy had returned. They came where he was and stood around 
and looked at him and asked him questions, but he told them nothing. 
But he went to the chiefs of the village and made his report to them. 
Afterwards he gave account to the people, saying, "I have been away all 
summer with friends, with people who have been very good to me. Now 
I should like to take them a present of dried meat and other good things, 
so that we can have a feast. I beg you to help me, my friends." So they 
brought together a quantity of the articles required, and they chose some 
young men to go with him to help carry the gifts to the people who had 
befriended him. 

So the boy and his companions went on the way towards the Nahurak 
lodge at Pahuk. When they came near to the place the boy dismissed 
the young men who had accompanied him, and they went back to the 
village. Now the boy went on alone and met the kingfisher, the messen- 
ger of the Nahurak, and sent word by him that he had come to visit the 
Nahurak, and had brought presents from his people. So the boy was 
invited into the lodge and all the Nahurak made sounds of gladness at 
seeing him again. The boy brought in the presents which had been sent 
by his people and they had a feast. After the feast they held a doctors' 
ceremony. They reviewed all the things that the Nahurak had taught 
him during the summer that he had spent with them. Then the boy was 
made a doctor, and he was now able to do many wonderful things. 

After this the time came for the young man to return again to the 
village of his people. The animals were thankful and gave praise to 
Tirawa for the gifts which the young man had brought to them. And the 
young man was thankful to the animals and he praised Tirawa for what 
the animals had done for him. Then he returned to the village of his 
people. He never told the people what his father had done to him. 

The young man lived a long and useful life among his people and 
attained much honour. He did many wonderful things for his people and 
healed them of their diseases and injuries. In time he gathered about him 
a group of other young men, who, like himself, were of serious and 
thoughtful mind, and who had desire toward the welfare of the people. 

[52] 



These young men became his disciples, and to them he taught the mys- 
teries which had been imparted to him by the animals of the lodge at 
Pahuk. These wise men in turn taught other worthy inquirers, and these 
again others; and so these mysteries and learning and the healing arts 
have come down from that long-ago time to the present among the 
Pawnee people. 



THE LODGE OF THE BLACK-TAIL DEER WHICH 
TALKED WITH ITS CAPTOR 

North Dakota has a number of places to which attach interesting 
legends and myths. One such place is a butte not far from Schmitt on 
the south side of the Missouri River on the road between Mandan and 
Cannon Ball. It is west of Eagle-beak Butte. 

The story of this butte is a Mandan myth. A long time ago the Man- 
dans lived in a village which was on a level place just north of the Bad 
Water Creek, which white people call Little Heart River. At the west 
of this place there is a range of high hills. The Mandans lived at the 
Bad Water Village in the time long before white men had come across 
the great water, so there were no horses in the country. The people had 
no animals except dogs to help them carry their burdens. And of course 
they had never heard of the thunder-irons (guns) which strike and kill 
the deer and other game at long distance. So it was hard work to ob- 
tain their supplies of meat and to carry the same home to their houses. 

A man who lived in the Bad Water village had dug a deer pit in a 
place among the hills west of the village and cunningly covered it over to 
appear not different from the ground about it. By this means he hoped 
to capture a deer whose flesh would be food for his family, and whose 
skin would be useful for making clothing; whose sinew would be used 
for thread, some of its bones to be used for making awls and needles, 
others for other useful implements and tools. Its horns would be used 
to make garden rakes for working the ground of his family's garden. 

One morning in autumn there had been a snowfall during the pre- 
ceding night, the first snowfall of the season. The man went out early 
in the morning into the hills to look at his trap to see if it might have 
caught something during the night. As he approached the place he saw 
that the cover was broken through, and when he came near and looked in 
he was rejoiced to see that he had captured a fine large black-tail deer. 

Nov/ when he came to the edge of the pit and looked down at his 
prize the deer looked up at him and spoke to him, saying, "O, man, do 
not kill me, but let me go free from the pit. If you release me you will 
do well." The man was surprised to hear the deer speak to him like 
a man, and he was disappointed to think of losing his prize. But he 
thought to himself, "This is something mysterious, I must give heed; I 
must not defy the Mysterious Power, but listen to the message; for it 
must be that some Mysterious Power wishes to impart something to me 
through this animal as its messenger/' So as he thus hesitated in doubt 
the deer again made its plea and requested to be set free. But the man 
spoke of his duty to his family, who looked to him for food and for 
clothing. Again the deer spoke and said, "Indeed you do well to think of 

[53] 



your family, and your endeavor to provide for them as well as you can 
is prompted both by your love and duty. But I say to you that you would 
do well if you allow me to go. If you do so, I promise you that you 
will have success in hunting; you shall find game abundant for the needs 
of yourself and family. And when war comes upon your people you 
shall bs victorious over the enemy. So shall you be remembered among 
your people for bravery." 

The man gave heed to what the deer said to him, and he dared not 
disobey the message which had come to him in this mysterious way. 
So now he began to dig down the side of the pit so that the deer could 
come out. When he had finished he said to the deer, "Now you may go." 
Then the deer came up the incline from the pit and ran down across the 
Bad Water Creek away toward the Eagle Beak Hill. As he ran the new 
fallen snow flew behind him from his hoofs in a white cloud, and he sang 
a song; 

"I was glad when I saw the first snow, 
But I almost lost the sight of day." 

The man watched the deer as it ran and observed that when it ap- 
proached a conical butte west of Eagle-beak Butte that the butte opened 
with a loud roaring sound and the deer entered and he saw it no more, and 
then the butte closed again as before. 

The man went home pondering these things in his mind. As time 
passed events came true as they had been promised to him in the mes- 
sage spoken to him by the deer. He became renowned among his people 
for his skill and success in the chase, for his generosity to the old people 
and to the sick and poor, and he attained many honors for his deeds of 
valour in warfare against the enemies of his people. 

Ever since that time the Mandans have called the butte into which 
the deer disappeared after its release from the pit, The Lodge pf the 
Black-tail Deer. 



THE WONDERFUL BASKET 
Indians of all tribes held the thought of the brotherhood of all living 
nature, of the trees and flowers and grasses, of the fishes in the waters, 
of the living things which creep or walk or run on the land and of the birds 
which fly above the earth, and of human beings. And they believed that 
human beings often gained wisdom and useful information through: 
dreams and visions in which the guardian spirits of any of these other 
living creatures talked to them, revealing to chosen, attentive and worthy 
persons, secrets of nature which were hidden from the careless and* 
unworthy. 

Among most tribes the cedar tree is considered to possess a property 
of mystery and sacredness For this reason twigs of cedar were often 
burned as incense in a sacred fire for the purpose of driving away evil 
influences. And if a person reclined under the shelter of cedar trees the ! 
healing power and strength of their spirit would come to him and his own 
spirit would thus gain composure and strength to meet life's troubles. 

[54] 



Once in the old times a woman was resting under a cedar tree. She 
was weary from her work, and as the gentle wind sighed among the 
thick green branches above her she dropped to sleep. While she slept 
-the cedar tree spoke to her in a soft murmuring voice, and the woman 
gave heed to the words of the cedar tree. 

And this is what the cedar tree said to the woman: "Sister, if you 
will dig down into the earth you will find there my slender, strong, pliant 
roots. Take up some of these and weave them into a basket. You shall 
find thereafter that some good shall come of it. It shall bring good to 
you and to all women." 

So the woman did as she was told by the cedar tree. She took up 
the slender roots and wove of them a basket. The basket was light but 
strong, and so pliant that it could be rolled into a small bundle when 
empty, though it was large enough to hold many things when it was 
opened out. 

One day the woman took the basket with her and walked far out 
upon the prairie where tipsin grew in abundance. She dug a quantity 
of the sweet and wholesome roots to take home for food for herself and 
her family. The tipsin roots grow so deep in the tough prairie sod that 
it is hard work to dig them, so when she had filled her basket she was 
very tired. She sat down to rest and sighed for very weariness, and the 
tears came to her eyes. She said, "Alas! now I must carry home this 
heavy load although I am already weary and faint." 

Then the basket whispered to her "Do not cry. Wipe away your 
tears; bathe your hot cheeks with water at the brook; be glad, for I am 
your friend." 

Then the woman wiped away her tears and went and bathed her 
cheeks and brushed her hair. When she returned the basket seemed to 
smile. It said to her "You were troubled for nothing. You forget what 
the cedar tree said to you in your dreams. You were told that good 
would come to you if you made a basket as you were instructed. Now 
you need not carry your load; but sing and be glad and walk on to the 
village. I shall come with you, carrying your load." 

So the woman went on her way home, singing from happiness, while 
the basket kept by her side carrying the load of tipsin roots. 

As she came near the village the women knew by her happy singing 
voice that some good thing had happened to her. Then as they looked 
up they saw her coming, and with her was coming the wonderful basket 
carrying the load. 

Then all her neighbors begged her to teach them how to make a 
wonderful basket. So she taught them as she had been taught by the 
holy cedar tree how to make a wonderful basket out of its tiny roots. 

And so, from that time, whenever a woman went out to gather June 
berries or wild cherries, or raspberries, or wild plums or pembinas or 
tipsin, or wild rice; or to their cultivated fields to gather corn or beans, 
she was not obliged to carry the load home. When she was ready she 
started towards the village singing, and the basket came with her cheer- 
fully carrying the burden. 



[55] 



One day, long after this, a woman had found the winter storehouse 
of the hintunka people, which they make under-ground, and into which 
they garner their store of food for the winter time. The hard-working 
hintunka people put away in their store-houses quantities of wild ground 
beans, various kinds of seeds and roots and tubers to provide themselves 
food for the cold time when the ground is frozen and the earth is covered 
with snow. 

It happened that the woman who found this store-house of the 
hintunka people was one who was not considerate of the rights of other 
people. She thought only that here was a quantity of food which was 
desirable and easy to obtain. So she filled her basket with the wild 
ground beans which are so delicious when cooked with bits of meat. 
She cared not that it had cost the hintunka people many weary hours of 
hard work to dig these beans and bring them together in this place, nor 
did she care that without them the hintunka people, their old people and 
their little ones, all would be left destitute of food and must perish from 
famine. 

While she was filling her basket a poor little hintunka woman cried 
pitifully and said, "This is our food. We have worked hard for it. You 
ought not to rob us of it. Without it we shall die miserably of hunger. 
But the woman took the beans and heeded not the pitiful crying of the 
hintunka woman. She had filled her basket, and was making ready to go 
home but there was no song in her heart. 

Then, while the filled basket sat there waiting a coyote standing near 
by, laughed. At this the basket was vexed, and said, "You are rude. 
Why do you laugh at me?" But the coyote only laughed all the more. 
This annoyed the basket greatly, and made it feel very uneasy and dis- 
tressed, for it knew something must be wrong. And it said to the coy- 
ote, "Do tell me why you laugh. What is it which is strange?" 

Then the coyote replied, "I laugh because you are so foolish. For a 
long time you have been carrying burdens to the village while the women 
go their way singing." 

But the basket said, "I am not foolish, I have the good spirit of the 
cedar tree. I am willing to carry burdens to help the women. I am 
glad when I hear their joyful singing." The coyote said, "But what do 
you get for it, friend ? You work like a slave. You receive nothing for 
it. No one offers you a mouthful of food. When you rest for a time 
from your labor you are not covered with a robe made beautiful with 
quill-work. When you have carried burdens for a woman she merely 
hangs you upon a peg on the wall till the next time she wishes you to 
carry something for her." 

As the basket considered the things which the coyote said it began 
to be discontented. It felt that it had been treated unfairly; that it had 
no pay nor thanks for all it had done, and so the basket was sulky, and 
refused to carry the load to the village, and the woman at last had to 
take up the burden and carry it upon her back; and she felt aggrieved 
and bitter because the basket would not carry it for her. She did not 

[56] 



consider that all the service she had ever had from the basket was from 
kindness and good will and not from obligation. 

And ever since that time the women have had to carry burdens upon 
their backs, for the baskets no longer carried burdens for them. 



CAUSE OF THE BREAKING UP OF THE ICE IN THE 
MISSOURI RIVER IN SPRINGTIME 

It is said that in the long ago there was a mysterious being within 
the stream of the Missouri River. It was seldom seen by human beings, 
and was most dreadful to see It is said that sometimes it was seen within 
the water in the middle of the stream, causing a redness shining like the 
redness of fire as it passed up the stream against the current with a ter- 
rific roaring sound. 

And they say that if this dreadful being was seen by anyone in the 
daytime anyone who thus saw it soon after became crazy and continued 
restless and writhing as though in pain until he was relieved by death. 
And it is said that one time not a very great many years ago this fright- 
ful being was seen by a man, and he told how it appeared. He said that 
it was of strange form and covered all over with hair like a buffalo, but 
red in color; that it had only one eye in the middle of its forehead, and 
above that a single horn. Its backbone stood out notched and jagged 
like an enormous saw. As soon as the man beheld the awful sight 
everything became dark to him, he said. He was just able to reach 
home, but he lost his reason and soon after that he died. 

It is said this mysterious "Miniwashitu" (water monster) still lives 
in the Missouri River, and that in springtime, as it moves upstream 
against the current it breaks up the ice of the river. This water mon- 
ster was held in awe and dread by the people. 



THE WATER-SPRING OF THE HOLY MAN 

Long ago there was a village of people of the Dakota Nation, 
which was situated on the east side of the great river which they call the 
Muddy-water River, but which white people call the Missouri River. The 
white people named it so from the Missouri nation of Indians on the 
lower course of this great river. 

This village we have just mentioned was on the east side of the 
river nearly opposite to the mouth of the Cannonball River. The people 
were happy in this village, for it was a pleasant place. There was plenty 
of wood for their fires, and there was an abundance of buffalo berries, 
wild plums, choke-cherries, June berries, wild grapes, wild raspberries 
and other fruit growing in the woods. Upon the high prairie there was 
much tipsin, whose roots are so good when cooked with meat or with 
dried green corn. Moreover, in the timber were many boxelder trees, 
whose sap was made into sugar in early spring time. Not far away were 
some lakes where there were many wild ducks and geese and other water 
fowl. The flesh of these fowl, and also their eggs were good food. Upon 

[57] 



the prairie were herds of buffalo and antelope and elk, and in the timber 
along the river were many deer. 

And below the hills, on the level ground of the river valley there was 
fertile soil where they planted their fields of corn and beans and 
squashes. They also cultivated the great sunflowers whose seeds are so 
good for food. 

And the people loved this place, for besides all the good things to 
eat, and other comforts which it gave them, it was also pleasant to look 
upon. There was the mysterious river coming down from the distant 
mountains away in the west and flowing on towards the lands of other 
nations of people in the south, and whose channel could be seen winding 
its gleaming way among the dark trees on its shores. Upon the prairie 
hills in early spring the courageous little pasque flowers appeared like 
a gray-blue cloud let down upon the hill-tops where they nodded their 
cheery greetings to the people who passed them. A little later in the 
little vales were masses of deep blue violets. Still later the prairie was 
bright with the colour and the air was sweet with the breath of the wild 
rose of the prairie. The cheery meadowlark, which the people call the 
bird of promise, flitted here and there and called his greetings and prom- 
ised good things to his friends, the Dakota people. 

And through the procession of the seasons there were spread out be- 
fore their eyes on all sides scenes of beauty, changing with the change of 
seasons and changing every day, indeed the beauties of colour and light 
and shade were changing at every stage of the day from the rosy dawn 
till the blue shades of evening came. 

Yes, it was a delightful land and the people rejoiced in it. But a 
strange thing happened which caused the people to move away to a far 
distant place. And this is the way it happened: 

There was living in this village an old man, a wise man, a man who 1 
was held in great respect by the people, for he was a holy man, to whom 
the Unseen Powers granted knowledge not given to all the people. And 
these revelations came to the holy man in visions. 

This holy man was now too old and feeble to till the soil and raise 
crops of food plants, or to go on the chase for game, or to gather any of 
the wild food plants. But because they held him in honor the young men 
were glad to provide for him, and the women cooked for him of the 
best they had. 

But one time he had a vision which made him very sad, so that he 
could only cry and weep and could not speak of his vision for sadness of 
heart. And the people besought him to tell them his vision, for, they 
said, "if it is a vision of evil to come, we may as well know the worst. 
We ought to be prepared for it." For a long time the old man could not 
bring himself to tell them the evil foreboding which had come to him. 
But at last, when they continued strongly urging him to tell them what 
it was, he said: "Well, my children, I will tell you the vision, for it may 
be that I shall not live long. This vision has come to me from the 
Mysterious and Awful Powers, and it is full of evil portent for our peo- 
ple." But now he was again so overcome by sadness that he was unable 
to tell it. 

[58] 



Again, after some days the people begged him to tell the vision, and 
they pressed him so urgently that finally he said: "This is what I saw in 
my vision, which has come to me repeatedly. I saw a great incursion of 
human beings of strange appearance. They are coming from the direc- 
tion of the rising sun and are moving toward this land in multitudes so 
great that they cannot be counted. They move everywhere over the face 
of the land like the restless fluctuations of heated air which are some- 
times seen incessantly wavering over the heated prairie on a summer day. 
They are moving on resistlessly toward us and nothing can stop them, 
and they will take our land from us. They are a terrible people and of a 
monstrous appearance. The skin of this people is not of a wholesome 
color like the skin of our people who are born of our holy mother earth. 
Their skin is hideous and ghastly, and the men have hairy faces like the 
face of a wolf. They are not kind like our people; they are savages, 
cruel and unfeeling. They have no reverence for our holy places, nor 
for our holy mother earth. And they kill and destroy all things and 
make the land desolate. They have no ear for the voices of the trees and 
the flowers, and no pity for the birds and the beasts of the field. And 
they deface and spoil the beauty of the land and befoul the water 
courses. 

"And they have many dreadful customs. When a person dies the 
body is not honorably laid upon a funeral scaffold on the prairie or in the 
^branches of a tree in the forest as we do, but they dig a hole in the 
ground and put the body down into the hole and then fill the hole up 
again, throwing the dirt down upon the body. And they have strange 
and powerful weapons, so that when they come our people will not be 
able to withstand them. It is this dreadful vision which has overcome 
me with sadness." 

Then the people were amazed and angry. They tried to have him 
change his vision, but he could not. Again the same vision came to him. 
The leading men now counseled and gave the order that the people should 
give him no more food for some days They said, "Perhaps he will have 
a different vision." So he was left alone in his tent for four days. And 
on the fourth day when they came to his tent they found him dead. They 
had not intended to cause his death, but they hoped that if they let him 
become very hungry he would change his vision. 

Now when they found him dead they were shocked and astonished 
and very angry. They said, "Now the evil which he foretold will come, 
for he died without changing his vision." And they said "We will not 
bury him honorably upon a scaffold according to our custom, but we will 
bury him in a hole in the ground, as he said his 'wandering people' bury 
their dead." So they dug a hole and into this they put the body of the 
old man and put the earth back again upon the body. 

At evening some women were gazing out across the river in the twi- 
light, and they saw a man come up out of the river and advance toward 
the village. When he came nearer they saw it was the holy man who had 
died and whose body had been buried in a hole in the ground. When he 
died he had changed from this life to the life of those who dwell in "The 



[59] 



Land of Evening Mirage." From the place where they buried him he 
had gone out under the ground and had come up out of the water of the 
river. Now when he came up out from the water he was changed back 
again to the life on earth. From this it was evident to all the people that 
he was indeed a very holy man, and that his vision was true and must 
come to pass. They gave him a good dwelling and provided for all his 
needs, and the women cooked for him the best food they had, and every 
one did homage to him and paid him reverence. 

After a time he knew that the end of his life was approaching, and 
as he was about to die he called the leading men about him and said, 
"The vision which I had will truly come to pass in future time. Now I 
am about to die. When I am dead let me be buried in the ground again 
at the place where I was buried before. You will see that some good 
thing will come of it for our people at this place. And it shall be good 
for all people at this place forever." When he said something good 
would come they thought he meant that the people should be saved from 
the cruel and savage, strange, pale-skinned people of his vision, but that 
was not what he meant. 

When the holy man was dead they would have preferred to give 
him honorable scaffold burial as was customary, but they did as he had 
directed and buried him in the ground where he had been buried before. 
But this time, they dug out a roomy place, and made walls and a roof with 
timbers, and in this place they put the body of the holy man after 
dressing him in the best of garments decorated with porcupine quill 
embroidery, and wrapped in a fine buffalo robe painted with beautiful de- 
signs. And they placed with him his pipe and tobacco and food and valu- 
able presents of all kinds. Then they covered it all over with earth 
again and set the sod as it was before 

At evening they watched the place in the river where he had re- 
appeared the other time after his burial. They thought he might return 
again out of the water of the river, but he did not come. And they 
listened above the little house they had made for him under the ground, 
but they heard not the slightest sound of breathing or any movement. 
Then they made a sacred fire by the grave from twigs of the cedar tree, 
for this tree is holy and sacred to the Good Powers and the breath of 
its fire will pring persons of good intention into communion with those 
Unseen Powers. But the holy man did not appear by the sacred fire and 
he was never seen again by any of the people. 

Now the people became so burdened with sadness that they could 
not endure to remain at this place, so they moved far away, where they 
found another good country. In this new place they stayed until all the 
people who were grown at the time they left the village of the holy man's 
grave, had become old and had died. And none had ever been back 
there. Then, when all those who were but boys and girls when they 
left the former village had now become old men and women, their tribe 
began to suffer harrassment from an enemy people of another tribe. 
Their enemies were too strong for them, so they had to think of mov- 
ing to another place. And so it came into their minds to return to the- 

[60] 



place by the Muddy- Water River, where they had lived at the time when 
those of their people who were now old had been merry, happy children. 

So they came back, and before they had reached the place the old 
men said, "Let us go on ahead and see the grave of the holy man/' And 
when the old men came to the place where the holy man had been buried 
they found that a spring of good water issued from the place where the 
holy man's grave had been. And that is why we call this spring "The 
Holy Man's Waterspring." 

And it is said that now a bright star is often seen shining over this 
spring for a while and that it then goes down and disappears into the 
water of the spring. And it is said that sometimes when the moon is 
full and bright the holy man may be seen walking near the spring. 
When one approaches to speak to him he disappears into the spring. Not 
all persons can see these things, but only those whose hearts are kind and 
gentle, and whose minds are in accord with Nature, and who have 
reverence for holy things and for the beauties and mysteries in Nature. 



[61] 



Map of Geographical Distribution of Fasque Flower 



[62] 



INDEX 

Page 

Map showing Distribution of Tribes 2 

Preface 4 

Dedication 6 

Nature and Health 7 

Spirit of Life 7 

Attitude Towards Native Life 9 

Indians' Appreciation and Love of Their Homeland 10 

Sacred Trees 10 

Song of the Pasque Flower 13 

The Prairie Rose 14 

Use of the Ground Bean by Indians : 17 

Tipsin: An Important Native Food Plant 19 

The Precious Gift of Corn . 20 

The Forgotten Ear of Corn 24 

How Wild Rice was Discovered 25 

A Story of the Sunflower 26 

Dakota Folklore of the Spiderwort - 27 

The Faithful Dog 28 

Folk Sayings About the Meadowlark 30 

How the Meadowlark Won the Race 31 

Indian Folklore of the Horned Lark 35 

How It Came About that Geese Migrate. 35 

The Captive Bird 36 

The Chickadee 37 

Song of the Wren 33 

The War Eagle and the Jack-Rabbit 39 

How Coyote Chief was Punished 40 

The Skunk and the Bear 42 

Escape of a Besieged War Party 43 

A Mandan Monument 44 

Legend of Standing Rock 46 

The Holy Hill Pahuk 47 

The Lodge of the Black-tail Deer which Talked with its Captor 53 

The Wonderful Basket 54 

Cause of the Breaking-up of Ice in the Missouri River 57 

The Waterspring of the Holy Man 57 

Map of Geographical Distribution of Pasque Flower 62 

[63] 



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